


Wake me up if everything changes

by IfYouLikePinaColadas31000



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Future Fic, M/M, Minor Character Death, also chaos, gay relationship, illegal super heroism, slightly AU, smut in future chapter, tw:Suicidal thoughts, tw:bullying, tw:depression, tw:gore, tw:mental illness, tw:torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:24:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 105,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfYouLikePinaColadas31000/pseuds/IfYouLikePinaColadas31000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a huge fight against a swarm of villains, the civilians voted for the superheroes to retire. It was also the end of Billy Kaplan's and Teddy Altman's relationship. Teddy left for Seattle with David Alleyne, leaving Billy in a desolated New York, heartbroken. Eight years after, the criminality is at its worst everywhere. Billy, now going by WIlliam, has been recruited by Nick Fury in a new agency that takes down criminal in secret. Somehow, rumors start to spread about superheroes coming back, and Teddy hears them after an attack at his workplace. He decides to come back, and after being recruited, he is reunited with Billy, but he soons discovers the young man hates him to his core now, and that working together is not going to be easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first I gotta tell you English is not my first language, so I'm sorry for the (I hope) occasional mistakes.This is my first fic published, and I'd like to thank my best friend Lisa who was kind enough to put up with my ranting and low self esteem. Also a big thank you to Cookie4623 and Lauraperfectinsanity who were kind enough to correct my grammar. And finally, Aurore, because she gives very good advice. Also, sorry for my poor attempts at editing :S

## Chapter 1

Flames. Flames everywhere. It was all Wiccan could see. Well, flames and Black Widow knocking out the bad guys one afer the other while he was doing his best to prevent the roof from falling on top of each and everyone of them. Damn criminals with their explosive devices. He was the center of a blue light tornado that would knock out people if they came too close.

He heard another groan and saw the last of the bandits fall face first on the floor.

  
Black Widow was wiping her hands. With a threatening look, she walked slowly towards the man who was craddled in a corner of the warehouse. Wiccan followed her, his eyes still shining with power. She manhandled the man and removed his mask.  
"For a mutant who can turn everything to ashes with his eyes, I'd say you're pretty lame." She declared in a soft voice. She grabbed him and made him kneel on the ground as he spat and groaned.  
"The fucking Avengers! You're supposed to have retired!" He hissed, trying to break free, his eyes open wide, rolling madly.

  
"Don't bother. I've blocked your powers." Wiccan informed him.  
"Go ahead Wiccan. Remove them." Black Widow said, looking around to check if there was no incoming danger. The mutant started thrashing.  
  
"You can't do that!" He protested, madness dancing in his eyes, as he tried to get away.   
"Oh, the list of things I can't do is short. And removing your powers isn't on it." He rose his left hand, and made a wiping motion before closing it. The mutant's eyes flashed blue and he went limp. A loud snore echoed through the warehouse. "It's done. No more powers. No memories of who we are." Wiccan informed Black Widow. She nodded.  
"Zap us away." She commanded. There was a flash of blue light, and they were gone, the roof collapsed, covering everything in dust and broken metal.

  
***

It was around 3 AM when the young man arrived home. He dropped his keys and removed his jacket, sighing heavily and rubbing his face.  
"Oh B... William, it's you." He turned around to face a black haired young woman, who looked like she was asleep five minutes ago.  
"Go to sleep Kate." He said softly.  
"No. I'm up now." She protested, walking towards the couch and sitting down. She studied his face, her own going more and more concerned. "Oh Billy." She sighed.  
"Don't call me Billy." the young man hissed. Kate clenched her jaw and walked away, in the bathroom, where she opened the cabinet. She came back with band aids and rubbing alcohol. She pulled him down on the couch where she started cleaning the small cut he had on his cheek with a cotton swap, grimacing slightly.  
"You're going to have a bruise." She muttered. William shrugged, he did not really care. Sure it stung a bit. But it could be worse.

  
Kate applied a band aid on the cut.  
"I don't like it William. What you're doing. We lost so many people. I don't want to lose you too." She mumbled, tears swelling in her eyes. She wiped them quickly and William pulled her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head softly. Guilt washing over him once more.  
"I'm sorry Kate. I'm really sorry. I wish you could forgive me." He whispered bitterly. I wish I could forgive myself, he thought, clenching his jaw and closing his eyes. They both stayed like that, in silence for an hour or two, until they both fell asleep.

  
***

  
"Where's my beer?" The big man shouted, more than half drunk.  
"Coming right up." Teddy answered with a fake smile, as he turned around to grab a glass to fix a pint. He then made it slide across the bar without spilling a drop of it, returning to wiping the glasses. Five more minutes, and he would be out of here.  
"Ted Bear, I need a mojito, pronto!" A waitress shouted over the noise. Teddy gave her a two fingers salute to show he had heard her, and he started fixing the drink. His smile never left his face, and he could feel his skin prickling as he constantly shifted to hide how much he was tired. Well at least, nobody gave him crap for his superhero's past. Being in Seattle had its perks, he was far from the chaos that was New York, and the people here did not hold as many grudges as the one from his former home city. Two minutes.

He let out a little sigh and straightened, the bones of his back cracking a bit.  
"Candice, a mojito!" He called, and the waitress came by, taking the drink with a huge smile.  
"What do you do after?" She asked, trying to flirt with him, as usual. He shook his head.  
"Not interested Candice." he replied, for what felt like the thousand time. She shrugged and walked away, winding through the clients. Well, Teddy could not blame her for being persistant, he never told her he was gay, and she was not the kind of girl that pinned over superheroes, so she did not know he once was Hulkling, the gay shapeshifting Kree-Skrull half-blood. That notion seemed foreign, even to himself nowadays.

It was time. Teddy dropped the cloth he was using to wipe the glasses. He left the main room and went to the back to grab his stuff away from the noisy conversations and loud music. He was slipping his jacket on when he heard the sound of glass shattering and people screaming. He quickly rushed back to the main room before freezing on the spot. A hooded man was holding a gun on his boss's head while three other hooded guys were aiming guns at the crowd to keep them from moving. The air seemed thick, as if it had turned into jelly and the young man quickly evaluated the situation.

"I'll ask you one last time. Where is he?" The first hooded guy asked his boss. The poor man was terrified, his hands risen in surrender. Teddy's next move was pure reflex. He felt his skin prickle, but this time, it was not a faint feeling. He felt his muscles grow bigger, his body taller. His skin turned green and claws extended at the tip of his fingers. Without a warning, he launched himself forward, his torn clothes falling in his stride and he punched the hooded man away. He was knocked out of the bar and into the street, through the already shattered window. Teddy followed as the other hooded guys ran after him to fight alongside with the one that had threatened his boss. They surrounded him, and he squinted. What he suspected was true. The young man was the 'he' they were looking for. They all had guns, and he needed to think fast if he did not want them to pierce little holes in his body. Thick scales covered his skin as he jumped on the first, knocking him out. He punched the second, and tackled the third. A small part of him marveled over how he quickly and easily fought them off, as if years had not passed. Once the tree were out, he turned to face the man who had threatened his boss. People were calling the police in the bar, and there was a lot of noise.  
"Who sent you? What do you want with me?" He asked in a growl, taking three quick step to grab the man by the collar, lifting him above the ground. The man let out what sounded like a whimper.  
"Please... They said superheroes were coming back. And they offered to pay us if we killed some of them." Teddy frowned. Superheroes returning? That seemed strange, even to him.  
"We retreated." He stated and the man shook his head.  
"No they're back. They're back and hunting us. It started in New York, but it also began in a few other states. Please, don't kill me..."

Teddy could hear the sirens coming near. He shoved the man on the ground.  
"I suggest you to stay put until the police is here." He growled. Then he made wings grow out of is back and flew upright. The air was a bit cold, and he shivered. He had ruined his clothes. That had not happened since he left New York. Which apparently was once again the starting point of something big. Seriously, what was wrong with New York He wondered as he landed in the backyard of his building and shifted back.

What the man had said kept echoing in his head. Superheroes returning. That had to be wrong, right? People decided that they did not want them anymore. They had voted. Of course, the criminality peaked as soon as the heroes retired, but the armed forces were enough to countain them. Or so they thought. Now, each and every big towns were very dangerous, but none were as dangerous as New York. Teddy had seen the news. And it was not pretty. He was glad he had moved out, but he was also worried remembering all the people he left behind. But so far, nobody died. Yet. And if some superheroes were coming back, he could not shake the feeling of impending doom.

But it was not possible. SUperheroes were not back. He would have heard of it right? Someone would have called him? He let out a small chuckle. Yeah right. Seeing nobody bothered to try and hear from him, why would they call him if they started some kind of resistance against the criminals that were taking over the country?

Once in his appartment, Teddy took a large bag and proceeded in stuffing it with clothes. He looked at his closet, biting his lips. He walked towards it and opened it before stripping off his torn clothes. He fumbled through the cardboard boxes and took a small one. He opened it and took the folded black and purple material. He stood up, wearing only his briefs and unzipped it before slipping it on.  
"Right. Stretchy." He remembered, a small smile blossoming on his face as the costume fit him perfectly. The young man let his palms travel on the fabric. It felt foreign, and yet so familiar, like some childhood memory. But who was he kidding? It was a childhood memory. Teddy put some casual clothes to hide the costume, and he slumped his bag on his shoulder. He left a few hours after, in the deep of the night, going to the bar where he wrote a note to say where he was going and that he was sorry for the attack. He put his keys in the office, and desappeared like a shadow.

*****NEW YORK, EIGHT YEARS AGO*****

Teddy Was glad he had an enhanced healing factor, because, his arm was broken. In three different places. He wiped his mouth, the acrid taste of the vomit lingering on his tongue and looked around. Billy was hovering in mid-air, shooting bolts after bolts of blue light. His cloak was torn, his hood pulled back, but he was still fighting after the big explosion. He let out a little sigh of relief, but his anxiousness was still very present as he looked around. Where was David? He felt his bones knit back together as fear froze him in place. David was nowhere to be seen.

Of course, it would have been easier if there had been only one bad guy. But they were facing an army. A real army. Teddy had seen more supervilains this day than in his entire superhero career. Buildings had been destroyed, and people hurt, or killed. A swarm of rogue mutants had conquered the streets and had started destroying and killing, showing no mercy. The fight had escalated quickly until each and every superhero in town took part in it.

Teddy moved his fully healed arm and got up to the sound of an explosion. He saw Captain America flying backwards to finally crash through a car. A man came towards Teddy with a snake around his shoulders. Teddy shifted to his big and green form and punched the man in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. He then rushed towards the main fight. All the heroes that had the ability to fly were fighting above his head, trying at the same time to control the fight on the ground. He heard a wail and looked at his right. He felt like a rock fell through is stomach as he saw Kitty Pryde in flames running around and trying to put the fire out. Teddy froze in shock, bad memories coming back and he lurched forward, emptying his stomach for the second time in five minutes. Kitty's body collapsed and remained motionless. The young man was shaking, cold sweat covering his body. And the rest of the fight passed like a blur. Teddy did not know how he did not die. He kept seeing his adoptive mother dying in front of his eyes. And then it was over. They were all counting the dead and the wounded, and he was wandering the place feeling drunk. That was when Billy landed a few feet before him. But behind him, David was here, battered, his costume torn, dryed tears on his face. Teddy started walking fast. Billy looked at him and rose his arm in a welcoming hug, but Teddy walked past him and pulled David in a tight hug. David looked up at him, tears stuck in his long eyelashes, and he tilted his face up, as Teddy leaned down, and they kissed. Teddy felt the tension wear off him and the sweet relief finally washing over him.

  
***

The blue fire ball crashed over Teddy's head, destroying a family portrait.

"I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP!! I SENSED IT EVER SINCE YOU STARTED THAT STUPID GIG WITH NOH!! SO THAT'S WHY YOU DIDN'T WANT ME AROUND!" Billy's powers were swirling aground him, growing brighter as his rage grew stronger.  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING!" Bitter tears were pouring out of Billy's eyes, he was losing it completely. All the problems they had faced and overcome together crawled back from the place he had hidden them in his mind, and destroyed everything. Teddy was looking down, unable to meet his eyes.  
"So you made up your mind." Billy snarked. "Go. Get out of here. Your boyfriend needs you." His tone was sharp, disgust swelling in his throat as he wiped the tears from his face. If he had had the choice, he would not be causing a scene in front of his family, who was shocked by his outburst. Rebecca Kaplan had a hand over her mouth and Jeff Kaplan had his hands risen in mid air, in an attempt to stop the fight.

Billy clenched his jaw. He felt the need to roar, and to fly over the city until he found David Alleyne and gouged his eyes out. But he burried those feelings inside. With a motion of his hand he conjured everything Teddy had in his possession along with two bags. He then threw it out the window, hating himself for being so cliché, but then again, Teddy was lucky he did not set anything on fire. The young man had tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth, probably trying to explain himself, but Billy interupted him.  
"Don't. Just go." He shouted. He rose his hands, power starting to rise and swirl around him again.

"IwanttoremovethespellonTeddy, IwanttoremovethespellonTeddy..." Billy chanted, his tone bitter and desperate. Teddy rose a hand to stop him, trying to say that what Billy was doing was useless, that he knew there was nos spell on him, but the blue light surrounded him, sank inside him and coursed through his body. It then exploded around him, the shockwave made the walls tremble. Billy dropped his hands.  
"You're free from me. If there was a spell, it is gone. Now get out of here." He repeated, opening the front door.  
"For what it's worth... I'm sorry." Teddy whispered. "Goodbye Ms. Kaplan. Goodbye Mr. Kaplan. Thanks for letting me stay with you." He did not look at them, so he did not saw their sad faces. Sad because he was leaving. He then got out, his bags slumped over his shoulders, and Billy slammed the door.

"Billy... Sweetie..." His mother started, and Billy broke down.  
"No." He whispered, his throat to thick to allow him to speak louder. "Leave me alone. All of you." He then ran up the stairs and locked himself inside his room.

*****NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY*****

William woke up to the smell of coffee. Kate was talking in the kitchen, and he was not sure he liked the voice he was hearing. He entered the kitchen and grimaced.  
"Fury." He greeted flatly, walking around Kate who seemed as cold as ice in front of Fury and poured himself a cup of coffee.

  
"You destroyed a warehouse." Fury said, anger barely showing. But it was obvious he was displeased. William looked at him with disdain.  
"Did I?" He muttered, taking a sip of his drink. Fury's eye bulged.  
"We're supposed to be discreet, Kaplan! You can't keep pulling stunts like that everytime you're on the field!" Kate huffed and finished her cup.  
"Well at least, he caught the bad guy right?" She defended him, and Fury turned his face towards her.  
"This is none of your business, Miss Bishop. Stay out of this." He told her firmly. William put the cup down and turned to face him.  
"Well, you're not supposed to come to my appartment to scold me like a kid. And yet here you are Fury. Besides, I wasn't the one that destroyed it. I was holding it up until I zapped Natasha and I away. As for the discreet part, what did you expect? We're former superheroes. Sometimes we can't really act discreetly. Now I would love if you got out of here. I don't want work to invade my privacy."

Fury got up. He looked at Kate.  
"Still not interested?" He asked and she snickered.  
"Yeah, no. I've seen what working with you has done eight years ago. I won't die for your stupid need of making things right. People hate us thanks to you Fury. You know where you can shove your offer." And William could not be prouder. Fury exited the appartment in silence. The young man looked at Kate with a little smile.  
"You think what we do is stupid?" He teased her and she chuckled.  
"Nah. I just wanted to be disrespectful. I couldn't do that before. And I never liked him very much." The young man laughed and high fived her. "What you guys do is heroic. But I promised my Dad I'd keep my nose out of the superheroism, so I can't accept." There was a hint of regret in her voice and William sat next to her.

"So how does it feel to tell off Nick fury?" He asked her with a huge grin. Kate smiled back.  
"It's awesome, plus I got to make you smile, so double-awesome." She said, brushing back a strand of black hair. She looked at him shyly. "Uh... I was wondering... If maybe we could go and visit Tommy today?" She asked quietly. William froze and looked at her, a bitter taste exploding on his tongue.  
"I'm... Not sure he wants to see me." He replied sadly, feeling tears swell in his eyes. Kate wrapped him in a tight and comforting hug.  
"You had to do it. You didn't have the choice." She told him. "He was growing more and more unstable. He could have killed people. You did right by wiping his powers." And William started crying. "There. There. Everything will be okay." Kate whispered in his ear, ignoring her own tears. But she could not bring herself to believe it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank all of you who left kudos on the first chapter. And thanks to those of you who just read it. Once again, a huge thank you to Lisa, my best friend who read this chapter in six parts. Thank you my precious Cookie who took the time to read this with a nasty cold, I love you <3\. And thank you Laura for being an awesome Young Avengers fan and huge Teddy/Billy shipper, as well as an awesome beta who gives good advice. And last but not least, Aurore, who makes me listen to good and inspiring musics <3.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: In this chapter, Billy faces bullying again. It happens during the flashback, and what happens is pretty rough. You might want to avoid these parts whenever Billy and Kessler interact.
> 
> Once again, sorry for the mistakes, that are occasional I hope. English is not my first language.

Teddy was sore. His whole body was protesting as he walked through Central Park. Six days hitchhiking from Seattle to New York.

The young man was glad it was summer, so he was not suffering from the cold, at least. It had been a long week, some people recognized him and refused to take him in their car. Some of them even insulted him, telling him to go back to his monster world where he belonged. On the third day, filled once again with slurs, he had started considering to shift so people would act normally around him. But he quickly pushed that thought away. He did not have to hide who he was because it made people uncomfortable. If they did not want to deal with him, fine. But he was not going to change. Not again. The memories of the time he spent pretending to be someone he was not, just to please somebody who did not like him for who he was stopped him from doing so. And once he arrived in New York, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders, as if he was no more in constant danger.

The young man crinkled his nose as he scratched his head. He badly needed a shower, his smell was becoming unbearable. And a washing machine. He definitely had not packed enough clothes. He kept fumbling through his contacts to see if he could call somebody but he soon realised there was no one. Nobody seemed interested in keeping in touch with him when he left. The sun was setting and he did not want to spend the night on the streets, especially after everything he heard in the news in the past eight years. And since being a superhero was now illegal, he could not even use his powers to protect himself if someone assaulted him. He was already lucky nobody pressed charges on him for the show he pulled at the bar. Well at least, the news did not talk about how Hulkling destroyed the windows of the bar he worked in and needed to be arrested. He smiled at the people walking and running in the park, and the situation felt odd to him. New York was no more a safe city, and yet, people kept on living their life as if nothing bad happened lately. And for some reason, it felt good, as if the world had not changed, as if he was the same as he was eight years ago. And another feeling swelled in his chest, a feeling he had not felt since he left. The feeling of belonging. For once in eight years, he felt at home.

***

Half an hour later,Teddy was standing in front of the Kaplans house on the Upper West Side. Shuffling on his feet in the dark, the street barely lit by the lamps. It seemed like he had forgotten how to knock on a door.

"Come on." He grunted. The Kaplans were going to be happy, he knew it. They had been giving him calls as soon as he left. He only took one though. It was too hard to talk to people he had betrayed, even if they assured him it was okay. He knew it was not. Rebecca and Jeff assured him they were not mad, and that he could come back as soon as he wanted, but he never took that offer, not even when David left him after four years of a perfect relationship.

Well, perfect to Teddy at least.

Guilt suddenly hit him hard, because when David left him, he had understood how Billy had felt when he had broken up with him. How the young man had seen their relationship wilt slowly, powerless and yet trying to do everything to mend the situation, before Teddy had put an end to it. No. He was not going to knock. He could not do that.

Teddy turned his back, ready to leave, when the door opened and a red haired woman exited the house. He looked at her, startled, and hauled his bag higher on his shoulder. The woman frowned and studied him.  
"Yes? Can I help you?" She asked dryly, studying him, her gaze suspicious. The young man cracked a smile and rose his hands to show he was not a threat.  
"Uh... Yeah, good evening Madam. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I was looking for the Kaplans, but they apparently don't live here anymore." He explained. The woman cocked an eyebrow and put a hand on her waist.  
"They moved out of this house five years ago. Then they left New York for another state six months ago. They didn't leave an address." She informed him, cold and still frowning, probably trying to decide if he was dangerous or not. Teddy looked down, he was clearly unwanted here. The woman snorted. "But one of their sons still lives in the city. The eldest, I think."  
It felt like a rock fell through Teddy's stomach. The Kaplans had left New York, but apparently, Billy still lived here. Strangely, the thought comforted him, and a fuzzy feeling spread through his chest.  
"Do you know which state?" He asked quietly, wanting to know, and the woman made an outraged face.  
"Their son was a superhero. You'd figure that with a shame like that in the family, you'd hide far away." She stated, and Teddy looked up, skin prickling as he felt the need to shift and a sudden burst of anger tear through him like a white hot blade.  
"I was a superhero too. And there's no shame in saving people, even when they're ungrateful like you. Now, just look at your city and what that ungratefulness did." His eyes shot daggers at her, and she paled. "I hope you'll never be assaulted by some rogue mutant or something. Because if it happens in my presence, I'll do nothing." He hissed. He then rushed away before she would call the police. Goosebumps were roaming all over his body. It was the first time he actually lost it in front of someone who gave him crap about superheroes. _Someone who talked shit about Billy in front of you._ A little voice ehoed in his brain and he shook his head. He was not allowed to think like this. Not after what he had done.

After two hours of useless wandering, the young man decided to take a room in a hotel. He had spent these two hours trying to come up with a better idea, since the rooms tended to be very expensive, but nothing. He turned right at a corner, entering an empty street. His eyes darted left and right, and okay, that was weird. There were no lights at the windows of the buildings, and the dumpsters were empty. Teddy looked behind him. The street was not very far from a crowded area, so it was technically impossible for this street to be so empty. A sudden shiver behind his neck informed him he was not alone and he dropped his bag on the ground. Teddy turned around, watching his surrounding, as he swiftly adjusted his position to a fighting stance.

The street was dark, and once again, the young man catched himself wishing he had thermo-vision. All his senses were working, and his temples throbbing as the familiar rush of adrenaline filled his brain. Funny how a little chemical reaction could save someone's life, he thought, because without it, Teddy would not have heard the rocks rolling away from the feet of the silhouette rushing towards him behind his back.

He turned around. A fist came close to his face, but he dodged it easily, and rolled on his shoulder, away from his assaulter. Teddy shifted so quickly it hurt, as if his skin was tearing, his clothes shredding and revealing the black and purple material of his costume which stretched to accomodate to his new shape. The assaulter was moving swiftly, like a shadow, the young man thought. And that was not normal. Teddy could clearly see he had been trained to fight, as he launched towards him and ducked under his green fist and kicked him in the knee, making him lose his balance. The young man quickly settled back and faced the shadow, trying to grab him, but he jumped and Teddy missed him. He groaned, catching the silver gleam of a knife in the darkness. His eyes widened and he remembered the words the hooded man had told him in Seattle. _"They said superheroes were coming back. And they offered to pay us if we killed some of them..."_. He knew he was not supposed to use his powers, but he was not going to let someone kill him. Fuck the fact that he had no secret identity. Fuck the law that had exposed every superhero, he thought grimly.

The shadow invaded his space and tried to slash at him, and Teddy took a step backwards, his eyes never leaving the knife as he ducked the shadow's attempts to stab him. A fist connected with his face, making him see stars. Damn, his ennemy was strong. And he was clearly out of practice. The shadow had managed to distract him enough to be able to punch him. And that was not good. Teddy did his best to hit him, but his hands never came in contact with him. And as he was punching, the shadow rolled under his arm and cut in his flesh, deep and quick, and Teddy roared. He jumped away from the shadow, panting and looking at his wound.

Red blood was dripping on his green skin in thick rivulets, and he looked up. His assaulter was studying him, bracing himself for another attack. Teddy's eyesight became blurry and he frowned. He felt his arm tingle weirdly and it became more and more difficult to keep his fist clenched. The young man realised the knife had been laced with some kind of toxin. The tingling crept up his shoulder and his head started swimming. Teddy clenched his jaw and frowned, the shadow jumped on him and he tried to dodge his attacks, but his body felt heavy. Another slash on his shoulder and he lost control of his shapeshifting powers, the tingling feeling spreading faster. He saw his skin turn back to white as the shadow waited for him to fall.  
He was struggling to keep his eyes open. The ground came in contact with his cheek. Darkness swallowed him.

***

"Seriously Kaplan. Get off the window before I drag you away from it by the scruff." Kate hissed and William turned his face towards her with a confused look. She had an angry-worried look on her face, her fists on her hips and the young man giggled. With her hair slipping out of her bun and her scolding look, she reminded him of his mother. He took a sip of his coffee and licked his lips.  
"Don't worry Kate. I'm not doing a depression-apathy crisis again." He promised and she relaxed slightly. He gave her a sorry smile, understanding why she seemed so worry. "I just wanted to watch the city." He mumbled, and Kate nodded. She removed her shoes and pushed his feet so she could sit in front of him.  
"How are you feeling?" She asked softly. "You never mentionned Tommy once since we went to visit him." William shrugged. When they had arrived at Tommy's appartment, he had greeted Kate with a warm smile, and William had seen that his brother still had a thing for her. But Kate had decided to remain single since the big fight eight years ago, after she had seen Colossus driven mad by Kitty Pryde's death.  
"I don't want to experience this. Ever." She had told William as they were both lying in the young man's bed, comforting each other after all these traumatizing events. The next weeks had been the witnesses of huge changes in the two former heroes. Kate started to work with her dad and was now the head of his publishing business. William had gotten a buzz cut, started hitting the gym, had successfully graduated from college and had started training with Wanda and Stephen Strange to fully master his powers so they would never be a problem for his personal life again. Not that he had any personal life anyway.

"I told you Tommy didn't want to see me." He mumbled, his smile fading at the mention of his twin. After he had greeted Kate, Tommy had looked at him and flatly said "Hey traitor", before ignoring him the whole time they were at his appartment. Kate had tried to make them talk to each other, but Tommy had ignored her attempts and William had just whispered monsyllabic answers, so the young woman quickly gave up.  
"You know how he is. One day, he'll realise you did what was good for him." She said firmly.  
"Yeah, as if he could forgive me for wiping his powers." William grumbled. "I felt awful. I still feel awful. It's like I have this rotting ball in my stomach that keeps poisonning every cell in my body." He muttered. Kate grabbed his forearm and gave it a soft squeeze. "But I didn't want him to die. I didn't want... To lose him too." William finished in a trembling whisper.  
"It was Tommy powerless, or Tommy killing people. Personaly, I'd have gone for the first too." She assured him.

But her words meant nothing to William. Everytime he went to visit his brother, he kept seeing what happened that night, six months after the superheroes retired. And the guilt was like poison, even when he knew he did the right thing. That if Tommy kept going down the path he had taken, he would have been arrested, then killed.

**NEW YORK, SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO.**

"Hey! Watch your step, monster!" The guy shouted as he shoved Billy away from him. Billy, who had done nothing but walk past him. The young man groaned as he fell down on the ground, scratching his palms, the weight of his backpack making him lose his balance. It had been six months since what people came to call "The Demise Day". If the bullying had stopped when Billy had fried Kessler, it came back even worse. No powers were tolerated, using them in public was illegal, and Kessler and his friends fell back in their old habit of making Billy's life a living hell. Sure, he could have wished for it to stop, but then, people would have known he had used his magic. Nobody had recognized him as Wiccan, thinking he had a brief superhero career as Asgardian, but then, the government had forced them to reveal their secret identities, and everyone had been surprised-not in a good way-when Billy's reality warping powers had been revealed. For everyone, he was just a mutant with electric powers, not a mage with a godly potential.

But really, how ridiculous was it that no one recognized him? He did not wear a mask, and he had appeared several times on the news. With time, the young man had figured that no one had recognized him simply because he did not want to be recognized, and that had caused him to have a little nervous break down. His powers had protected his identity, answering to an unconscious need. And that had destroyed the belief his powers only answered to his voice. It meant that the spell on Teddy was real. It meant that the boy he had loved had been nothing but a puppet to his feelings and desires. He had bewitched Teddy to love him. 

And that was when Billy vowed to never fall in love ever again.

He got up with anger on his face, not looking at the guy who had shoved him, rubbing his palms on his jeans to remove the dirt from it. It stung, his hands were bleeding. But he kept his mouth shut. He was not going to give the guy the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt him. It was Sebastian, one of Kessler's best friends. He grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall of the school building. Billy yelped, and met the guy's eyes.  
"Look down, monster." The bully threatened, letting go of Billy and balling his fists. Billy clenched his jaw and held his gaze defiantly. The other boy groaned and he punched Billy so hard the young man saw stars, pain exploding on the side of his face. Billy grimaced, and looked back into the Sebastian's eyes, anger and hatred painting his features.  
"I said look down!" The guy shouted and punched Billy again, this time splitting his lip. And this time, Billy groaned in pain, his tongue licking the blood off. Sebastian threw Billy on the floor and started kicking him in the stomach.  
"You're a monster. You're a fag." He shouted with each kick. Billy couldn't breathe. He felt nauseous, but the surge of panick really swept him when he felt sparks lit up on his skin. The bully stopped kicking him and snickered.  
"Yeah. Go ahead monster. Fry me. Give me just a reason to go complain." But Billy breathed in, and the sparks died. He struggled to get up, his face bloody and a bruise quickly forming on his cheekbone. "Never. Leave me alone." He groaned. The brute grabbed him again and shoved him against he wall once more. Billy's head hit the bricks with a loud crack.

"You let him go right now." A masculine voice commanded. Both Billy and the guy turned their head towards the boy who had just arrived. Tommy shoved the guy away and pulled Billy behind him. "You good?" He asked, and Billy nodded. Tommy focused back on Sebastian. He took a step forward and puched the guy as hard as he could, and Billy gasped.  
"Tommy! Don't!" He grabbed his brother by the forearm and pulled him away, but Tommy broke free and went on hitting the guy. Billy's eyes were wide, and he struggled to get in between Tommy and Sebastian, who got up and wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve.  
"That's all you got, monster?" He taunted, and Billy put his arms around Tommy's waist to prevent him from launching forward. He could feel his brother's body vibrating, as if he was going to run to the guy at full speed.  
"Tommy! Please don't! That's what he wants!" The young man tried to reason, as the other tried to break free from his hold. "You're gonna get arrested if you use your powers!" He insisted, tightenning his grip.  
"Yeah, Tommy! Wouldn't want to finish in some kind of mutant zoo, do you?" Sebastian snickered, and Tommy roared, scratching Billy's arms harshly so he would let go of him.  
"Get lost!" Billy shouted at the guy, as he could feel his grip beginning to fail. "I'm not gonna hold for very long. Get lost before he kills you!" And Sebastian froze, looking at Tommy. Tommy who had 'murder' written on his face, and the bully paled. He turned around and ran from them. Billy kept holding on.

"Let me go."

The order fell sharp in Billy's ears, clear and threatening.

"Let me go or I'll break your arms." Tommy added, and Billy released him, with confusion on his face. "What's the matter with you Kaplan? You could have made him leave you alone with one little sentence!" Tommy shouted, fury painted all over his features. "And when I come to help, you let the son of a bitch go without even batting an eyelash?!!? We could have taught him a lesson! He would have left you alone for the rest of the year!" Billy shook his head with anger.  
"It's illegal to use our powers in public Tommy! We would've gotten arrested, and using them on a civilian is worth a trip to the Death Row! Are you insane? That's what you're looking for?" The young man hissed, wanting to punch some common sense inside his twin's head. Tommy huffed.  
"Whatever. I'm out. Don't expect me to come pick you after school anymore. Deal with those assholes yourself."  
"I never asked for your help! Nor have I asked you to come pick me up!" And Billy instantly regreted his outburst, because, yeah. He felt safe when Tommy walked him home after School. It was only September, and so far, his senior year sucked. It was even worse than before.  
"I'll let you get beaten then, since you don't have the guts to stand up for yourself, I won't do it for you." Tommy groaned angrily, and he ran at full speed away from Billy, a gust of wind blowing dust all over the young man's face. Billy hauled his bag up on his shoulder, and walked away silently, guilt and regret leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

***

Rebecca Kaplan was fuming, brandishing the cotton swap like a sword as she cleaned her son's injuries.  
"I'm going to talk to the principal. That's enough." She hissed. Billy opened his mouth to protest, because it was already embarassing to have his mother taking care of him like this, he did not want her to unleash her motherly wrath on his school principal. She shushed him with a glare and she threw the used cotton swaps in the trash can. "You can't let people harass you like this." She kept on ranting. "This was a hate crime, and I won't allow it. We're going to press charge." The young man laughed bitterly.  
"Really Mom? Press charge? Do you honestly think they will even consider listenning to me? I'm a former hero. And gay." He sighed. "They won't even care. All I need to do is keep my head low, just like I did before."  
"It didn't really work, did it?" Rebecca protested,as the sound of the front door opening made them both turn their heads towards it. Jeff Kaplan entered the kitchen and frowned when he saw Billy's face. "If you don't tell me the other guy was worse, I'm going to shout very loudly, son." Jeff warned, already getting red from anger. Billy looked down.

There was one thing about Jeff Kaplan that nobody really knew. He was a pretty calm and easy going man, but when he got angry, which did not happen often, you did not want to be near him. People often assumed that Rebecca Kaplan was terrifying when she got angry, but it was because they never actually witnessed Jeff Kaplan losing it.  
"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED, BILLY?" Jeff shouted furiously, and both Billy and Rebecca winced. Their two younger sons rushed in the kitchen, wide eyed and afraid.  
"Why is Dad shouting?" One of them asked, but nobody answered. Jeff crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, glaring at Billy.  
"I'm waiting." He threatened and Billy felt himself turn into a puddle at his father's tone. No matter how much he had changed this past few months, how much muscle mass he had grown, he still felt little and helpless when Jeff got angry. So he told the story, giving them all the details, but he did not mention Tommy, knowing his parents would be both angry and desappointed. Angry because he let Tommy speed away in public, and desappointed because of his reaction towards his twin brother. Jeff was getting redder and redder.  
"That's it. We're going to press charge, and I'm going to have a talk with your principal." Billy rolled his eyes.  
"It's useless..." He tried to protest, but his Dad's eyes went wide and his nostrils flared so the young man shut his mouth and looked down. His two brothers came by his side with a determined expression on their faces.  
"We're going to kick Sebastian's ass."  
"Yeah, but it's simply because you can't do it yourself. We know he wouldn't last long if you could fight back." Billy smiled weakly at them. Their relationship had greatly improved since Demise Day and he felt grateful for what they said.  
"Tomorrow you stay home. No arguing." Jeff said firmly, and left the kitchen. Rebecca met Billy's eyes.  
"And we'll go to the police. No arguing." She said firmly before she dragged her younger boys by the ear. "And if I ear you two talking about kicking someone's ass again, I will be greatly desappointed. And of course, you'll be grounded."

Billy shook his head, slightly amused.  
"It's not over, Billy." His mother told him firmly, and she left the kitchen too, his two brothers grimacing and trying to break her grip on their ears.

***

Indeed it was not over. When Billy came back to school, two days after the 'incident', his face completely healed thanks to a simple little spell, Kessler greeted him with an evil grin, falling into step next to him and remaining silent. Billy instantly tensed, but kept walking, trying to ignore him.  
"So Sebastian has been suspended." The boy informed him. Billy faked to ignore him and went to his locker. "You should be very careful from now on, Super-Fag. This won't end here. In fact, it's beginning right now." He said as Billy opened the locker, and jumped back, letting out a disgusted noise. There were pork feet in it, and of course, they were staining everything with blood. Kessler slammed the locker shut and looked at Billy. "We're going to do whatever it takes to make you use your powers. Welcome to hell, Super-Fag." He started leaving with a satisfied grin, but he turned back. "Oh, and clean your locker. It kinda smells like pig blood around it. Kinda weird for a jew." And he left.

Billy spent the day looking behind him in the hallways, always double checking things, and trying to avoid Kessler and his goons. When the bell rang on his last period, he shot up from his chair and rushed out of the school but a hand grabbed his arm. Kessler and two of is friends pulled him inside the men's room, where three other boys were waiting. Kessler took his bag and threw it away from him, an evil grin spreading on his face.  
"I told you to be careful, Super-Fag." He began, with a soft voice. "See? We're all very sad that Sebastian got suspended because of you. And you know what we do when we're sad?" One of the goons took a step forward and punched Billy in the stomach, making him fall to is knees. But he quickly got up and shifted to a fighting stance. The six boys were between him and the door. "Oooooh! Super-Fag wants to fight!" One of them mocked.  
"Yeah, he probably thinks a buzzcut makes him look badass!" Another joined in.

A third guy launched and tried to punch Billy in the face, but he swiftly ducked. But it was all he could do. Because the four others fell on him like a ton of bricks and proceeded to punch and kick him under the appreciative eyes of Kessler who was garding the door. Billy felt fury rise inside him, and his powers lit his blood on fire. He was about to explode, he was going to wish them out of existence, but the moment he opened his mouth to cast his spell, a sharp pain exploded on the side of his head, and everything vanished into darkness.

***

A week in the hospital, and the cops saying it was his fault he got beaten up, that he should stop provoking other students with his abilities and sexuality. It was all Billy got after a teacher found him in the bathroom, lying down covered in bruises and a broken nose. He had fixed his nose with a spell as soon as he came back to his house, jokingly telling his mother that it was already ugly naturally, and that he did not need it crooked. His parents were devastated, knowing there was nothing that could be done after the cops had come to visit Billy and had blamed him for everything that had happened. He did not attend school anymore, taking classes at home and leaving his room for meals only. The bruises on his skin were fading slowly, and when his mother asked him why he did not make them desappear, he simply answered by saying they made him look like a real warrior. The truth was, he did not waste his powers if he was going to end up bruised anyway.He heard someone knocking on his door.  
"Billy? Someone wants to see you." His mother announced, poking her head around the door. The young man nodded, and his mother let Tommy in. The young man looked at Billy, his fists shoved in his pockets, shuffling on his feet awkwardly.  
"Dude... You look like shit." He mumbled.  
"Whatever. I'm still more handsome than you." Billy replied with a smile. Tommy huffed.  
"How can you still make jokes after what they did to you?" He groaned. "I want their names." He added, and Billy frowned.  
"Look, Tommy. I really appreciate that you want to avenge me and all, but seriously. Don't. You see my face? That's what I got for doing nothing. If you go against them, you'll get arrested, and sentenced to death. So please don't." He asked, looking out his window. Tommy sat on his bed, his green eyes twinkling with hatred.  
"They won't stop. They will never stop. And you know that."  
"I don't care. They're not worth putting my life, or yours at risk."

Tommy got off the bed and ran a hand through his hair, his breathing ragged.  
"You're so frustrating! They sent you to the hospital, and you still don't want them to be punished!" He hissed. Billy shook his head.  
"Of course I want them punished, but only if they're brought to justice."  
"Are you really that naive? You know that there's no justice when it comes to people like us!"

Billy remained silent. He brought his knees to his chest and rested his chin on top of them. Tommy huffed again and he exited his room. It was only when Billy heard the front door slamming a few minutes after that he got up and padded out of his bedroom, down the stairs and in the living room. Rebecca smiled dearly at him, but her eyes were full of worries.  
"Is everything okay, baby?" She asked, and Billy nodded.  
"We must keep Tommy from knowing who did this to me. Or he'll do something stupid." He said, and he saw his mother look away from him. The young man felt a knot form in his stomach. "Mom? What did you do?" He asked, his throat narrowing. Rebecca paled.  
"He asked me if we knew who did it before he left. And I answered." She replied with a tiny voice.  
"What the fuck, Mom!" Billy shouted. He looked out the window, the sun was setting. He knew it was not going to be safe if he was roaming the streets at night, but still. "I need to find him." He decided, running back up the stairs, his mother on his heels. He quickly put his shoes on and grabbed his jacket.  
"What are you gonna do?" His mother asked as he rushed downstairs.  
"Let's hope I'll be able to stop him." Billy answered and he went out. And come back in one piece. He thought.

The young man did not know where to start. He decided to go to Tommy's appartment and try a locator spell there. He also sent a text to Kate to tell her what happened. She replied she would meet him there. When Billy arrived, Kate was already waiting for him in front of Tommy's door. She wore her hair in a high ponytail, and her purple sunglasses were sitting on her nose. She had a concerned expression on her face and she sighed in relief when she saw Billy.  
"The door is closed, and he didn't pick up when I tried to call him." She informed him. Billy looked at the door.  
"I want to unlock the door." He announced flatly. Blue sparks flew out of the lock and the door opened itself. Kate gasped and faced him.  
"When did you learn to do that?" She asked, knowing that Billy needed to chant his spells on repeat to make them work. The young man smiled sadly.  
"After Ted... After Demise Day, I contacted Stephen Strange. He offered to train me once, and I said I wanted him to help me control my powers. I'm not there yet, but now, I just need to want it to happen and announce it. He says I'll be able to do that without opening my mouth one day." He told her, before entering the appartment. Kate followed him, knowing perfectly Billy did not want to train just to control his powers, but also to prevent himself from bewitching someone else like he apparently did with Teddy. She looked around and decided to change the subject of their conversation.  
"Why are we here again?"  
"I need something of Tommy's for a locator spell." The young man started fumbling through Tommy's belongings. He needed something personal, but he refused to take one of his underwear. There were no keys, no jewels, and of course, his twin's sunglasses were nowhere to be found.  
"Can't you do the spell without taking something? You already did it once, when we needed to find Eli." Kate remembered.  
"It takes time when I don't have an anchor." Billy explained. "We don't have time."

Kate rolled her eyes.  
"Fine. Have it your way." She grumbled, looking around. She went to Tommy's bedroom and came back with a shirt, and a very worried face. "I don't want to panick, but he took his costume with him." She informed Billy and the young man snatched the shirt from her hands, his eyes glowing bright. "I want to find Tommy."

The magic started swirling around Billy as his feet left the floor, trapping him inside a cocoon of blue light. His mind was filled with images of New York, the traffic, the streets, until it zeroed on Tommy, speeding towards the Bronx.  
"He's running to the Bronx." Billy announced, confused, as he broke his trance. "But Kessler and his goons all live in manhattan." He thought out loud. Kate gasped.  
"But... Billy... The Bronx is where most of the super criminals are hiding." She revealed and Billy paled.  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I may, or may not be involved in some of Clint Barton's business. he keeps an eye on the most dangerous criminals, just in case they would need to be ended." Billy shivered at those words.  
"Am I the only one respecting the law?" He grumbled, grabbing Kate by the arm. It seemed he was the only one that had stopped playing superheroes for good. He hoped none of them would get in trouble. There was a flash of blue light. And Kate and Billy were gone.

***

Not allowed to run? Tommy did not care. It hurt so deep. He worked his ass off to save people who now treated him like a monster. The wind caressed his face as he ran as fast as he could. Images of Billy battered and bloody kept invading his mind. The boy was all he had left. And seeing him in that state, not even asking for payback... Tommy could not allow it. Kessler and all his bastard friends were going to pay. He just needed to get in gear. Deep down he knew it was not just that though. But he kept all the other reasons burried.

Tommy wanted to break the bully's face, but he was not going to do it bare handed. He hated himself for that, but he wanted to inflict pain. To make this shithead suffer so much it would make him stop harassing Billy.

He would would never admit it out loud. But yeah. He had grown to love his reincarnated, soul twin brother, or whatever they actually were to each other. He was almost where he wanted to be, when, suddenly, he tripped and went flying in the dumpsters on the corner of the street.

"The fuck?" He winced, trying to get up. That's when he saw Billy and-his heart missed a beat- Kate Bishop come down from the sky surrounded by a bright blue light. Like two freaking angels. This can't be good. He thought.  
"Tommy please! Don't do... Whatever it was you were going to do." Billy pleaded, only now realising he did not really know what his brother was up to, but the young man clenched his jaw and got back to is feet, ready to start running again. An arrow stopped him dead, and he gasped.  
"Last warning Tommy. You come with us or we get you to the cops." Kate announced, her tone clearly sounding like she meant what she was saying. Tommy's heart sank. He had always had a thing for her, but now it felt as if these feelings were rotting and turning to dust. She was not on his side, and that hurt more than he was willing to admit.  
"Right. A non-powered archer and an angsty little mage. What could you possibly do to stop me?" Tommy sneered. "I'm going to stop people from doing shit. Starting with Kessler and his friends. They'll learn not to bother people like me. Like us Billy." And he ran for it, only to be stopped and shoved into a wall five seconds after.

"NO! I won't let you do that! You can't put your life at risk just because Kessler gave me a black eye!" Billy protested, his hands risen. He tightened his telekinetic grip on his twin brother, who snickered.  
"You never learn, do you? This is not just about you, Kaplan! This is about the way we are treated! You think I'm doing that because a fucking homophobe bruised your delicate features? You think I'm doing that because I can't stand the view of my dear twin-brother-or-whatever with a black eye? No. I'm doing this because I'm being spit on everyday. I'm doing this because mothers force their children to look down when they cross my path. I'm doing this because, one day, I was suddenly unfit for my job. The world doesn't revolve around you!" Tommy shouted, finally spilling what he had been feeling for six months. "You're so selfish! No wonder why Teddy left you. You've always been focused on your little person, not caring about how he was feeling as long as YOU were okay. Even when Loki talked about the possibility you put a spell on him, you didn't even try to see if it was true and break it because that would have meant losing him. You didn't care if he wasn't happy as long as you were."

Billy felt cold. Those words cut deep inside his soul and he felt his powers fade slowly around Tommy, releasing him. He clenched his jaw, and, fighting the tears he looked right into Tommy's eyes. "You think I'm selfish? Fine. You're right. I don't want to lose you like I lost Teddy. And if I need to use my powers to change your mind about this thing, so be it. At least you'll be alive." The young man threatened, blue streaks of power rising around him.  
"Gonna manipulate me like you did with your boyfriend?" Tommy snarked, hating himself for lashing out t Billy like that, but he had had enough. He could not take being treated like a freak anymore. He saw tears spill from his twin brother's eyes, his face pale, angry, miserable, but resolve burning bright in his eyes. And suddenly, Billy's voice thundered, full of power and will.

_"I want Tommy to be powerless."_

**NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY ******

Teddy woke up with the worst headache of his life. He was lying in a bed, completely naked. Looking around, he noticed he was in some kind of cell, no windows, the walls completely black. There was just a big screen in one of them displaying the date and the time.Two days. I slept during two days.

No wonder why he was feeling so weak. His skin was prickling from the dried sweat and every time he breathed, he could smell himself. With a disgusted expression he dragged himself out of the bed and padded towards the shower in the corner of the room. He took the opportunity to check himself for any injuries. The cuts the shadow gave him had completely desappeared, and, beside the general soreness, he was okay. Once clean, he stepped out of the shower and dried himself, looking at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. His chin was covered with a golden stubble, and the rings and cuffs in his ears had desappeared.

He cursed, running a finger on the shell of his ear. Of course, the holes had completely desappeared now. He knew he had to keep the rings in his ears or the holes would heal and the skin be mended. Now he would have to have them done all over again. He turned around, completely naked, and saw that he had clothes neatly folded on the bedside cabinet. He quickly put them on. Whomever it was that gave him those clothes, they really liked the color black. Black sweatpants, black hoodie, black tanktop... Even the socks and underwear they gave him were black. Also, his 'hosts' had no sense of clothing size whatsoever, because everything they gave him was a bit too snug. The waistbands of his sweats and boxers were digging in his hips, and if he lifted his arms, the hoodie and the tank top would probably expose his belly to the world. If it did not tear at his shoulders first.

Looking around the room, he found his trainers and he put them on quickly. Then, he started studying the walls, feeling them up to find some kind of crack, or anything that could indicate a door. His right hand trailed over a smoother part of the wall and a noise bipped in the room, making the wall slide to the left. Teddy was now looking into a huge circular room with screens and lots of seats. The people sitting in them looked at him with surprise and the young man froze, ready to shift if they made any moves.

"Finally awake! I thought you'd need medical assistance after that dose of sedative. I guess we should have gone a little more easy on you."

Teddy looked at the man who had talked and his eyes almost popped out of his skull. Tall, black, with an eyepatch covering his left eye.

"Mister Fury?" He croaked, not knowing what to do. Shift and try to escape? Or talk and try to understand? He had been drugged and taken away, but he was still alive. "What am I doing here?" He finally decided to ask the man, hoping he was not held captive or something.  
"Mister, uh?" Fury chuckled. But Teddy knew he had lost his status of director of the S.H.I.E.L.D. "My spies informed me that you were coming back. I didn't really want you on the loose in this city, considering how dangerous it is to live in New York at the moment." Teddy frowned.  
"People aren't exactly panicking out there." He replied, remembering the relaxed faces he had seen in central park. The truth was, when he had come back to New York, he had expected to see half of the city destroyed, cars burning, and people getting mugged in every corner. But he saw none of that.  
"It's at night that the streets aren't safe. The super criminals forced a curfew on the non powered people. If they cross someone who doesn't have powers out at night, they kill them. And if a person with powers try and stop them, they end up killed too."  
"What about the law that states we can't use our powers in public?" The young man asked, confused. Fury laughed, sincerely amused.  
"Altman. You're a shapeshifter and you can turn your fingers into sharp claws, and make bulletproof scales cover your skin. Now, imagine you're a criminal. Would a cop really stop you from doing what you want to do, simply because there's a law that states using powers in public is illegal? What are guns in front of Thor's hammer? Or Stark's armor? Or your strength? Well it's the same for the criminals' powers. The last mutant we arrested had the power to melt metal with his eyes. You'd understand the cops don't try and stop mutants and powered criminals now. They'd only end up killed. Especially with all the big baddies recruiting every new powered human willing to join them." Teddy took all the pieces of information when something made him tick.  
"Wait. Did you say 'arrested'?" He asked, unsure. Fury grinned.  
"You and I need to talk. I hope you like the new S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, because you're going to stay here a moment." Teddy nodded, and followed Fury as the man led him to his office.

***

Two hours and a lot of coffee later, Teddy was sitting in front of Fury, flabbergasted, and furious. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at the man, who was very relaxed.  
"You're telling me you've been doing this for almost six months, and you never even tried to expand your actions to the whole country?" He snapped. "For fuck's sake, Fury! There are criminals and rogue mutants everywhere! Not only in New York!"  
"Well, doing national-wide operations would have given the secret away." Fury shrugged.  
"I hate to break it to you, but your operations are no more a secret. Some guys tried to kill me in Seattle because someone is offering money to get heroes killed. They've heard about your... Organization." The young man hissed. "Besides, who was the person you sent to sedate me in this street? Couldn't you just ask me to come with you?" Once again, Fury just shrugged. Teddy clenched his jaw and breathed in deep to prevent himself from punching the man.  
"So? Are you willing to join us?" Fury asked calmly, joining his hands and lacing his fingers together on the desk in front of him.  
"What if I say no?" Teddy asked, showing he was not going to give up so easily. Fury got up and walked towards the door.  
"Then, you're free to leave. But the S.H.I.E.L.D will keep an eye on you, just to be sure you don't wander away from the path." He announced flatly. Teddy nodded.  
"And what about the operation not being a secret anymore?" The young man asked, because Fury ignored this fact earlier, and he did not really like that. He saw the black man frown and a snarl form at his lips.  
"I'll have a talk with the person that was supposed to erase certain things." And that was not a promise, it was a threat. Whomever this person was, Teddy sincerely felt sorry for them. But another feeling rose inside him. If he said yes, he was going to help people again. If that thing Fury was doing worked, maybe the country could be at peace again. Maybe the superheroes could live normal lives again. He clenched his jaw and looked into Fury's eye.

"Count me in."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first a big apology. I know it's been a while since the second chapter came out, and this one is long overdue by now. I had a lot of things going on at the same time, and I had to sort them out so a big big big sorry for those of you who bookmarked this fic. Thank you to each and everyone of you who left kudos on this, and who took the time to read it. Thank you to the one who commented <3\. I'd also like to thank Laura again because she's the best beta in the world, I mean, I've never see someone so enthusiastic to read what was next in my tiny little story. She deserves everything. A huge thanks to Lisa my best friend who was always there, and to Lauren, my cookie <3\. I can't not thank Aurore too, her music gives me life and inspire me so much.
> 
> Now. I have to put a trigger warning for this chapter too so...  
> TRIGGER WARNING: in this chapter, Billy has suicidal thoughts, it's not long, and I struggled not to put this in the story, but it kinda felt unevitable. For those of you who don't want to read that part, you can skip this scene. It begins at "William came back home an hour after he left the headquarters" and ends at ""Small victories..." She muttered."
> 
> Thank you again. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

It was four o'clock in the morning and William was walking in the hallways of the new S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, a grumpy expression on his face. His phone had rung an hour ago, the screen not displaying any number, which meant Fury was calling him.

"Get your ass over here. Something happened, it's important."

So naturally, William had leaped out of his bed, taken a quick shower, magically put his costume on, and flown out the window. The night was dark, and strangely still. There were no people in the streets, because of the curfew imposed by the criminals. It still felt odd to William to think of New York as a very dangerous place, especially at night like this, when everything was so calm. The young man kept flying through the dark sky, until he finally found the secret place where the headquarter was located. He landed, put his hand on the identification device next to the door and entered. The air slightly buzzed around him as the door closed behind. He smiled when he recognized his cloaking spell that settled back in place, hiding the building. Then he started walking.

He crossed many agents while he proceeded towards Fury's office, each of them stopping or going back where they came from. He knew the majority of them feared him after that time when he lost it and fried the computer room. Except...

"Hey there." A young man dressed in a uniform, with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes greeted him. He was tall, muscular, and had a warm smile plastered on his face.   
"Agent Casey." William greeted him, pulling his hood back. His hair was messy because of the wind, he had not bothered styling it. Casey smiled and leant on the wall.   
"So, I didn't get any reply from you..." The agent said, pouting playfully and playing with his fingers, his eyes fixed on the mage . William cocked an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upwards.   
"I thought it was clear that I don't want to date anyone." The young man answered, and Casey laughed quietly.   
"Who talks about dating? I just want a drink, a talk, walk you home, get a kiss if I'm lucky." The agent replied, charming, as usual. But William shook his head, even if his insides melted. Casey was a very sweet man.   
"No, Im sorry. But no." He told Casey with a sorry face, as his heart filled with regret. "I don't want that." Casey seemed desappointed, but he smiled, understanding, like he did each time William turned him down.   
"Okay." He started walking away, and turned around. "If you change your mind, you know where I work." William chuckled, and went on walking. Casey was everything he could want from a guy, but he was not ready to get with someone. He knew he was in total control of his powers now. But he could not risk another... Accident. He turned at a corner and saw Natasha Romanoff walking towards him from the other side of the hallway. She did not even look tired, despite the early hour. Just sharp and perfect.

"Wiccan." She simply said, falling into step with him. "I see Fury has contacted everyone. I saw Cap, and Stark is here too. Storm was already here when they arrived, and Johnny and Clint are on the way." The young man's eyes went wide, taking the pieces of information in and he looked at her.   
"Wow. Something big is happening then." He realized. Natasha smirked.   
"Yes, something _big_ " She told him mysteriously. They walked together towards Fury's door and entered.

Steve Rogers was sitting by the big table, laughing. Storm was talking to Fury, probably giving him a full report of her latest mission. Stark was taking measurements on...   
"Teddy?!!?" William choked, recognizing his ex boyfriend as a cold feeling spread through his chest and guts.   
"Billy?"

***

He had changed. He had grown taller and been working out, but it was Billy. His face was more angular, his chin was covered in a short stubble, and he had two golden rings in his earlobe now. His costume was different too, even if the red hooded cape was almost the same, only it was split in two from the bottom. The suit was black, tight, highlighting Billy's body. The fingerless sleeves were covered with the familiar swirl of stars and galaxies that stopped just above his elbows on his biceps. The stars were also reflected on the squares he had on his shoulders, on the fabric of his collar, and on the two oblique bands placed on his hips, like an incomplete belt highlighting the v-line of his waist. His tights were covered in galaxies from mid thigh to his feet, as if he was wearing thigh high boots. There was a half silvery circle on his chest, with a starry band going down from it. Teddy's eyes went wide when he realised the silvery circle was the moon, The same moon, in the same state he saw earlier when Fury showed him where the headquarter was located. And once again he wondered how Billy had managed to create that effect on his costume. It was as if the cosmos had taken a human shape to let Billy wear it whenever he felt like it.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Billy hissed, crossing his arms, his expression darkening, which made Teddy snap back to reality. His voice had changed too. Less hesitant, clearer, deeper, a little bit raspier than before, and for a short moment, Teddy was taken aback, not knowing what to answer.   
"Billy..." He started.   
"William. It's William now." The other cut him short, dryly. And for some reason, this broke his heart. If Billy had started using his full name, it meant that the man in front of him was not the same anymore. Teddy slapped himself mentally. What did he expect exactly? Of course Billy would be different. He hadn't seen him in eight years, people change with time. Even when he had tried taking news, he had seen Billy had blocked him. So he had given up, a bit easily, yes. Looking down, The young man shoved his fists in his pocket, letting his blonde hair fall in his eyes, hiding them.

Of course Billy... William would not want him to be here. Not after he left him to start a relationship with David. Of course he would have prefered him to stay away. But he had fallen in love with the depowered mutant. And he could not blame himself for being so filled with doubts about the fact that his ex boyfriend had possibly bewitched him that he had started to question their relationship to the point he was not sure of being in love anymore. Until the day he had realised he had started falling for someone else. Teddy regreted he had hurt Billy. Since David left him for a young woman in Seattle, he knew how Billy-No. William- had felt when he had left him. Just like he knew there was no goddamn spell the day they broke up, even if he saw and felt the magic course through his veins when he left the Kaplans' house as Billy-Damnit. William!-had seemingly 'broken' it.

"I'm waiting." William insisted, his tone cold, as he started to tap his foot.   
"Altman is our new recruit." Fury answered for Teddy. "He's been attacked by a little gang in Seattle that had heard of our little organisation. Speaking of which, you owe me an explanation, Kaplan." He added. "You were supposed to erase the memories of the criminals we stopped." The black man accused, angry. William clenched his jaw and faced Fury, leaving Teddy for later. Everyone in the room kept silent, and the atmosphere grew nerve-wrecking. The last time Fury and the mage had argued, William had fried the computer room. The one and only time he had lost control of his powers since he had finished his training with Stephen Strange.   
"I don't know what happened." The young man replied through gritted teeth. "I did everything I needed to do in order to erase their memories."   
"Clearly not everything." Fury insisted, and the mage snorted.   
"Clearly not weird at all that super criminals start to lose their powers and memories for no reason." William replied with anger. "I told you that we should just arrest them and leave them to the cops. That it would be less risky. But did you listen to me? No." His eyes never left Fury's, challenging him shamelessly. "They're not stupid. They knew what was going on as soon as we started going after them."   
"You had one job and you failed, Kaplan." The black man stated, harsh and unforgiving. Steve quickly got up, ready to come in between the two men if it became necessary. Tony went back to taking Teddy's measurements, deciding to mind his own business. Natasha crossed her arms, pissed, but silent.   
"Enough! Both of you!" Ororo shouted. But the mage ignored her and kept holding Fury's gaze.   
"Well, if I'm that much of a failure, just fire me." He said. "After all, you've got a new recruit ready to replace me." He sneered, turning his face towards Teddy, disgust painted all over his features.   
"I don't want to replace you!" Teddy defended himself, turning bright red with displeasure.   
"Oh, please. You've got a real talent when it comes to replacing me." William replied mercilessly. The shape shifter grew redder and clenched his jaw.   
"That's unfair." He said, his throat narrowing. William let out a hollow laugh.   
"Yeah. That's unfair." He agreed flatly, his eyes never leaving the other's face, but they were just empty, not accusing, as his anger slowly deflated. He turned his face towards Fury. "I'm out. That's enough. I'm tired of that shit." He rubbed his face, once again feeling like he had a too heavy load on his shoulders. He could put up with people looking at him funnily in the streets, or the one insulting him. But the constant remarks from Fury, his parents leaving town because it had become too dangerous and Tommy were too much for him to bear. He had done everything that he could to redeem himself but apparently, that was not enough. And he was exhausted.   
"Leave him alone, Nick." Steve said firmly. "You've been behind his butt ever since Maria died. Cut him some slack."   
Fury was obviously not happy at the mention of Maria's death, but he shut his mouth and turned his back on all of them to look at the big screen behind him.

The silence that filled the room grew more and more awkward. Teddy was puzzled. He looked at all of them, not understanding what had happened that would justify why Fury was so hard on William. Natasha looked at him and sighed, deciding to explain everything.   
"Two months ago, Wiccan and Maria Hill went on an exploratory mission in the Bronx. There were rumors about Hydra using Mutant Growth Hormone to cook something in a lab there. A few people had presented some weird changes. Too much strength, too much anger... But that was at first. We observed bodily changes too. The monstrous kind, not just muscle growth. We captured a person that suffered this changes and made some analysis. When we isolated the MGH and found out it was laced with a generic version of the Super Soldier formula, we questionned the guy, but he just said that we were not powerful enough to stop Hydra before he killed himself in his cell. So I first went to spy on a few people that seemed to be using that crap and I followed one to the Bronx. All the criminals used to hide there after Demise Day but they slowly extended their territory over the whole city, that's why we didn't assume they would be there. Once I located their HQ, I told Fury. The same night, he sent Wiccan and Maria there. We made sure the building was secure, but a few people were still there. There was a fight. Wiccan was severely hurt, but Maria didn't make it through."

Teddy listenned closely, the words digging their way through his brain. The horror of the situation slowly getting to him. Maria Hill was dead? How come it did not hear about it in the news? When Kitty Pryde died, it was on the front page of every newspaper.   
"She died a hero. But she shouldn't be dead." Fury said flatly. "I don't care what you all think. It was his fault." He added, shooting an accusing glare at William. The young man's eyes went wide and suddenly turned bright blue. Steve tackled him and took him out of the room, struggling as William thrashed around, trying to break free from his grip. A bolt of blue light shattered a bit of the wall, six inches from Fury's head who did not bat his eyelash, and the door slided shut.   
"Happy with yourself?" Tony asked, disgusted. "Don't you think he blames himself enough without adding this?" He dropped the measuring tape.   
"The day I'll want your opinion, I'll ask you." Fury replied, sitting in his chair. Tony's eyebrows shot up on his forehead.   
"Well you'll get it anyway. You're an asshole. And if you don't stop being an asshole with the kid, you'll answer to me. Are we clear?" He asked, his tone threatenning as he walked closer to the black man.   
"Coming from the guy who didn't hesitate to hurt him during your little feud with Cap, I find that pretty ironic." Fury mocked Tony, crossing his hands and leaning back on is chair. Suddenly, thunder cracked in the room. Ororo's eyes were completely white.   
"If you don't stop right now, you'll both get a lightning through your face." She menaced, furious. "Seriously? You really want to argue right now? The world isn't chaotic enough for your taste?" She asked them, disbelief tainting her voice. "And you!" She said, turning to Fury. "What are you trying to do? You just enjoy giving this kid a hard time? We all know he's working his ass off here. Maria is dead but it was not his fault. He couldn't have saved her even if he wanted to! You want to mourn her? Find another way. Punishing the kid just because he got out in time and she didn't is unfair. She must be turning in her grave right now."   
"Don't you dare!" Fury warned her.   
"You're not the boss anymore Fury. We're here because we want to do something right. But you don't get to give orders."   
Teddy just stood there completely dumbfounded. When he had decided to join the new S.H.I.E.L.D a few hours ago, he thought it was perfectly organized, but now he realized they were just people fighting in the dark, trying to do their best. And the fact that Fury was not in command struck him too.   
"But then... If he's not the one giving orders, who does?" He asked hesitantly, instantly feeling stupid when everyone looked at him with surprise as if they had forgotten he was here. He shoved his fists further in the pockets of his too tight sweatpants, looking down.   
"No one. We just do what needs to be done and try to act as efficiently as possible. Fury is just our coordinator" Natasha replied. "But Nick. Lay off Billy. Seriously. I don't recall you being so hard on me when I almost blew our cover and almost gave the agency away." She said. "We all make mistakes."

Fury just frowned and looked at his computer. Teddy looked at Natasha.   
"You called him Billy." He stated, a bit jealous. The woman smiled sadly.   
"Never in front of him. But no matter how much he's changed or try to be different. He'll always be Billy." And Teddy felt sad at her statement, understanding what she meant.   
"It's my fault if he's like that, isn't it?" He asked in a tiny voice. Natasha smiled softly, and went to hug him. The young man tensed at first, then relaxed, surprised that she would do something like that. But the hug felt so good and motherly, he realized how much he missed that kind of contact. The woman, on the other hand, was a bit moved. Teddy had grown taller and bigger since the last time she saw him, and seeing the man he had become crumble like the teenager he was before was almost unbearable for her. She never would be able have children, and she had grown to accept it somehow. But seeing the young man so sad struck a nerve. So she decided to not lie to him.   
"Yes. But it's not just that. He went through a lot in the past few years. So don't be too hard on yourself. You're here now. That's what matters." She said firmly, a knowing look on her face. And the shape shifter smiled with gratitude. He knew that she knew. She probably had realized since she saw him. And now that he had seen Billy-and yes, he decided to still call him Billy, except in front of him-it was probably even more obvious.   
"You still..." She started, as if she was reading his thoughts, but Teddy just nodded, not being able to bring himself to saying it just yet.   
"I think I never stopped, actually." He muttered. And she nodded understandingly, getting a confirmation of what she was suspecting. Fury and Tony were staring at them, looking confused.   
"What?" Tony murmured, trying to understand. Ororo just looked at them both, rolled her eyes and exited the room, a quiet "Men!" escaping her mouth.   
"Then make up for the time you lost." Natasha whispered in Teddy's ear, so he would be the only one to hear.

***

Steve had a hard time maintaining his grasp on William. He pulled him inside the training room, and let him go. The young mage instantly tried to get to the door, his eyes still shining with power. But Steve came in between.   
"Let me through." William commanded, his voice echoing in the empty room. The blonde man shook his head and stayed in front of the door.   
"Come on, Will. Calm down." He replied, reaching out to put his hand on the young man's shoulder, but he moved away quickly.   
"Don't touch me!"   
Steve sighed and looked at the mage. He was trembling with rage, a few sparks fusing from his body.   
"You need to calm down. You know how he is. It's his way of grievng. He needs to put the blame on someone. And sadly, he chose you."   
"I'm gonna kill him!" William shouted, turning around and shooting a large bolt of mystic energy on one of the target across the room. Steve winced, but he kept silent as the mage destroyed each and every target in front of him. Then he turned around, rage still painted on his face, but Steve was still in front of the door.   
"I won't step aside." The blonde man informed WIlliam.   
"It was not my fault. I thought she was following me." The mage groaned, lowering his hands, the sparks slowly dying around him.   
"I know, Will." The Super Soldier's voice was soft, soothing. William's features collapsed and he started crying, bitter tears pouring out of his eyes as he crumbled completely.   
"What can I do to make it better? I've tried everything!" He croaked, disgusted as he wiped his face uselessly. Steve did not have the answer to that question, so he just pulled the young man in a tight embrace. He knew that if he could not stop Fury from being an ass to him, he could at least be there for him, to comfort him and support him. No one should have to bear such a burden, such a big amount of guilt. And lately, it seemed that fate enjoyed making William's life a living hell.   
"I need to go home. I can't stay here any longer."

Steve froze. He pulled away and looked at WIlliam.   
"Does it mean you quit?" He asked, unsure. If the young man decided to quit, they would lose a great team mate as well as one of their strongest member.   
"Yes. No. I don't know." William sighed. "Look, Steve, let me go home. I'll figure it out by myself." He added tiredly, wiping his face one last time. The Super Soldier nodded.   
"I'll tell Nick." He muttered a bit sadly. The mage nodded and with a last sigh he headed out. He needed to go home. He only took a few steps when Casey joined him. If the agent noticed he had been crying, he did not say anything.   
"You okay?" He asked, unsure. "I heard what happened, and I just wanted you to know that all of the agents desagree with Nick about Maria. We all know it wasn't your fault. We're behind you." William rubbed his face and turned to face the oher young man.   
"And still they're all too scared to even look at me." The young man sneered "Listen, Agent Casey..."   
"Jackson." The other cut him, smiling softly.   
"Jackson." William sighed. "I'm not in the mood for an uplifting, supportive speech right now. I just wanna go home. It's very nice of you, but what happened tonight? It's too much. Everything. So, if you'll excuse me..." He turned around and went on walking towards the exit of the building. The young man was not going to admit it, but it was not only because of Nick that he lost his temper so easily. Of course the man's remarks still stung, but the real cause was a certain shape shifter kree/skrull halfling and the realisation that this part of his life still hurt like hell. William shook his head. That was the kind of things that made him want to look at the sky and say "Really?", because clearly, he was not already going through enough shit. His ex boyfriend was back, adding the guilt of what he had done to the most perfect human being he knew back then to the pile. The young man exited the building and took off, not even bothering to cross the limit of his cloaking spell before flying straight to his appartment.

***

When Steve got back to the room, Teddy was sitting on a chair awkwardly listenning to Fury and Natasha.   
"I don't want to be a problem for anyone." He muttered, turning his head towards the Super Soldier, clearly asking for help.   
"What's going on?" Steve asked, confused.   
"Nick doesn't want to use his connections to help Teddy find a place to live!" Natasha groaned unhappily. "He can't stay on the streets, and staying in a hotel will be too expensive."   
"Well I don't have time for that kind of stuff. I need to find a solution to the new problem caused by Kaplan." Nick said firmly. Natasha's eyes went wide and Teddy grimaced.   
"You know it wasn't really his fault." The young shape shifter mumbled, displeasure bubbling inside him. He definitely did not like the way Fury treated the mage. It really was unfair. The man just ignored him and kept focus on Natasha who was now cursing at him, threatenning him and clenching her fists to prevent herself from hitting the man.   
"Okay, calm down everyone!" Steve shouted. The red haired woman and Fury looked at him, still fuming. "Teddy will stay at my place." The shape shifter started stuttering.   
"No... I can't... I mean... I don't want to bother anyone... It's impossible." Steve smiled and put a hand on the young man's shoulder.   
"Yes. You can, and you're welcome to stay as long as you want. I have a spare room and clearly, Nick doesn't want to deal with you."   
Fury made a outraged noise and Natashe smirked.   
"It's not that I don't want to deal with him, it's just..."   
"That you need to find other ways to make WIccan's life miserable, we get it." Steve said flatly. Nick grimaced.   
"I really don't appreciate your tone." He mumbled, unhappy.   
"Yeah? Well, get used to it. Because as long as you'll treat Wiccan the way you do, I'll keep calling you out on it. Come on Ted. Let's take you home."

The young man got up and awkwardly said goodbye to Fury, even if he was not very fond of him at the moment. The lack of respect his new... Teammates? Associates? Buddies?- No. Not buddies. Thinking about Black Widow and Captain America as his buddies was weird.- Showed towards the man was astounding. He was the director of the S.H.I.E.L.D! And even if he was not their boss, Teddy could not even dare imagine challenging Fury.This simple thought scared the crap out of him. As he followed the Super Soldier out, Natasha took his hand and stopped him.   
"I put your stuff in the locker room. Take it before you go. Oh and there is a check for you in the bag." The young man frowned.   
"A check? For what?" He did not like that. He did not want people to give him money out of pity.   
"Because you're Tony Stark's new bodyguard." Natasha said and Teddy gaped in amazement.   
"I'm... What? Okay. This is going a bit too fast." Teddy pointed out, getting up. He took a moment to adjust his too small clothes, not sure if he liked being handed a job so easily.   
"You need a job to justify the money you'll get by working here." Steve explained. "We all have a job thanks to Stark, or other connections. But it's the S.H.I.E.l.D that actually pays our bills. Fury saved a few billions after Demise Day."   
"For example, Billy works with Kate at Bishop Publishing. But maybe she'll be paying his bills now." Natasha told him, concerned, and the young man looked at her.   
"Kate's still here?" He asked, a little smile blossoming on his face at the news. The red haired woman frowned.   
"What? You haven't been in touch with her?" She asked, almost scolding him, and the shape shifter looked down in shame.   
"I didn't think she'd want to hear from me after what I did. Or the others, for what matters." He muttered and the two other sighed.   
"Ted, what you did was your choice, and some people might have been angry about it then. But you were their friend. Of course they wanted to hear from you! Besides, it's not like they have a say in your decisions." Steve said.   
"Well, they all wanted to hear from you except Billy." Natasha reminded Steve. "He was afraid he would bewitch you again if you two ever came in contact. I've never seen a person as scared of themselves as Billy was. He locked himself for weeks after that." She thought out loud, sadly. Steve looked at her, grimacing slightly.   
"You'd be scared too if you knew that an unconscious feeling could change the reality around you." He sighed. Teddy kept silent, dumbfounded as he heard what had happened. He rubbed his face, ashamed. He did not want them to know that Billy did not bewitch him as they all were thinking. He remembered the magic washing over him that night and everything that followed.

**ON THE ROAD, EIGHT YEARS AGO**

Nothing. Teddy contemplated his hands and touched his body. Absolutely nothing had changed. He could still feel Billy's powers roaming through him trying to change something that was not here. It was when he had felt the magic plunge inside all of his cells, then get out of them without erasing anything that he had understood. He looked through the window of the car, the feeling of having made a mistake slowly settling in the pit of his stomach. Then he felt a hand on his knee and looked at his left. David. He smiled and relaxed. No. His relationship with Billy had been wilting slowly. What he had with David, even if it was only official since they kissed earlier felt more... He did not know. But it was better in some ways. He had fallen in love with the dark skinned boy slowly, days after days, as soon as he started getting to know him better. It was different than with Billy, he had been head over heels as soon as he had met him. He had not questionned it until Loki had told him about how reality warpers worked. But the boy's attempt at breaking the spell had revealed that there was nothing. Teddy had felt it. He was still himself. And real. He was not some kind of magical construct brought to the world by a daydreaming boy. And even if he knew Billy was hurt, it felt so good to be sure, and to be free from all those doubts. He allowed himself to relax a bit more in his seat and slowly drifted to sleep.

**NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY**

"Earth to Teddy?" Natasha said, concerned. Teddy came back to the present and looked at Steve.   
"Has Billy left for good?" He asked. Steve shrugged.   
"You can never be sure with him." He confessed, a hint of regret in his voice. "He's turning more and more like Wanda... Unstable, angry... I'm afraid of what might happen the day he finally loses it." The Super Soldier rubbed his face. The young man's stomach twisted in knots when he heard that.   
"Could he?" He croaked, guilt hitting him again with the strength of a charging rhino. Natasha put a firm hand on the shapeshifter's shoulder.   
"Remember what I said. It's not just you that caused this." Steve looked at her and sighed, already sorry for what the young man was about to learn.   
"Okay. Let's go to my place. I believe we've got a long morning ahead of us if we're going to tell you everything that has happened since you left." He declared, and Teddy nodded.

***

William came back home an hour after he left the headquarters. He had gone to buy breakfast after changing. He closed the door and went to the kitchen to drop the box of pastries he had bought. A small nervous laughter escaped his mouth, finally realising how ridiculous his situation was. His laugh grew louder and louder until Kate entered the room with a confused smile on her lips.   
"What are we happy for?" She asked, tying her bedrobe around her hips, slightly confused. William turned around to face her, eyes wet, his cheeks bright red.   
"He's back." He giggled. Kate frowned, her smile growing bigger, but she felt uneasy. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face.   
"Come again?" She asked quietly, keeping her smile wide, even if she sensed something was wrong.   
"He's back." William repeated, still giggling like an idiot. "Teddy's back." And suddenly, his smile faltered. His features collapsed and without a single warning, tears started pouring out of his eyes. Kate's face went still, pale and she brought a hand to her mouth.   
"What?" She breathed out, tears starting to swell in her eyes too. The mage just nodded and wiped his face, but it was useless, tears kept falling.   
"He's been recruited by Fury." The young man choked. "And... My powers... They're not working anymore. Someone heard of what we're doing. And Fury hates me because Maria died by my fault." He let out, his tears turning bitter. "My parents left because being around me was too dangerous. And I cursed my twin brother to be powerless." He hid his face in his hands. "Maybe... It'd be better if I desappeared. All the wrongs I did would be mended. And I wouldn't have to contemplate the failure I have become." He rambled through his tears. Kate went even paler and she grabbed him by the shoulders.   
"Do not say that Kaplan!" She shouted. "I forbid you, do you hear me? Do you hear me?" She cried desperately, shaking him slightly. "We've already lost too many people. Don't ever say that again!" She shouted, angry and scared. Her voice seemed to bring the young man back to reality. He looked at her and clenched his jaw, his eyebrows high on his forehead.   
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, and she collapsed in his arms, crying. He hugged her tight, apologizing over and over again.   
"I'm tired Kate. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He whispered.   
"I don't want to live this nightmare again. Not after Cassie." Kate sobbed. William nodded.   
"Okay. I promise nothing like that will happen." He said firmly, he did not intend to make her cry. "Forgive me." Kate pulled back and looked at him.   
"Can't you see? It's not me, or the others that need to forget you. You need to forgive yourself, Billy." She whispered in a tiny voice. And for the first time since he cast his spell on Tommy, he did not correct her.   
"I can't. Everything I've done lately... Since Demise Day, and before... It's unforgivable." He muttered.   
"Billy... What you did wasn't good, but it was right." She stated. "You need to understand that. And your parents had to leave. You're their son. They would have been a target for every criminal out there. Maria... She just hasn't been lucky. And if I recall, you nearly died too. Tommy was going crazy. At least like that, he's safe. And he won't do anything stupid." Then she brushed his face, his stubble scratching her palm. "Billy. You need to live. And by that I mean that you need to stop locking yourself in here after you come back from work. Go out. Okay, you're not glancing out the window. But seriously, you're not well. Not at all."

The young man nodded. He straightenned and forced a smile on his lips.   
"You're right. Sorry again." Kate smiled and kissed his cheek.   
"And what if Teddy's back?" The young woman chuckled. "He made his call. Now you live your life, and he lives his. Forget about him. You can't be his prisoner for life. He dated another guy. And so can you." She declared seriously. William perked up and nodded, clenching his jaw with resolve. He then looked at her and kissed her forehead.   
"I'm sorry. I love you." He started walking towards his room. "Oh and Kate?" He called.   
"Yes?" She turned around.   
"I like it when you call me Billy. But don't do it in front of the others." He then closed his door. Kate smiled brightly and poured herself some coffee.   
"Small victories..." She muttered.

***

It was awkward, sitting in Captain America's couch. Trying to stop fanboying over the fact that he had been invited to stay at one of his heroes appartment, Teddy ran a hand in his hair. Years ago, he would have texted Billy, challenging him to guess where he was sitting at the very moment. With a little pang of sadness, he remembered that Billy had left the headquarters barely speaking to him, almost unable to meet his eyes. The young man's stomach twisted when he remembered the void in the mage's look when he had faced him. And the disgust tainting his voice. The shapeshifter rubbed his eyes. When he came back to New York, he was certainly not hoping to see so much of the old Avengers. Maybe one and that was it. But Billy? That was the real surprise.

But then again, what was he thinking? That Billy would greet him with wide open arms? How could he be so stupid? He had realised he still loved him after David left him. And that it was the actual reason of their separation. But out of cowardice, Teddy never came back. He had fucked up greatly, letting one little doubt destroy the only thing he had left in this world. And now he had noting. Steve put a hand on the young man's shoulder, offering him a large cup of coffee. He then sat in front of him, looking tired.

"Okay, we need to go back to Demise Day." Steve mumbled. Teddy sat up and looked at him, attentive. "And what happened after the fight ended."

**NEW YORK, EIGHT YEARS AGO**

Steve was sitting in his couch, the Governement agents roaming through his stuff. His bed and closet were upturned, so were his drawers and cardboard boxes. All his clothes, shoes and papers were scattered on the floor.   
"Can I at least call my lawyer?" He asked, displeased.   
"We're sorry, but Mister Murdock is facing an official investigation too." One of the Agents replied. Steve got up.   
"What? Why?" He asked, suddenly alert. The agent smiled.   
"We took over the S.H.I.E.L.D. We know Mister Murdock is also known as Daredevil." The Agent said with a smirk. "That explains a lot of things." He went back to rumaging through Steve's clothes. "All of your secret identities are known. In a few hours, each of them will be rendered public. In the meantime, we need you to hand us your shield, costumes and equipment." Steve stood still, defiant.   
"And if I reffuse?" He groaned, crossing his arms.   
"We have the permission to use force. And lethal weapons."

The Super Soldier's face twisted in anger. He walked to his bedroom and opened his closet. He pushed the the middle plank of the right side, which made the bottom slide to the right, revealing a kitchen sized room. The Agent whistled.   
"Classy. I guess you got Stark building that for you?" But Steve did not reply. The man walked past him and entered the secret room, taking hold of the round shield that was resting on top of what looked like a small pillar. An electric bolt shot from it, as runes lit up all over it. The Agent was sent flying backwards as a smirk blossomed on Steve's face.   
"Asgardian security system. Built by another of my friends." He mocked. "You want my shield? No problem. But ask before touching anything that is not yours." He stated, as the Agent struggled to get up. The other agents rushed inside the bedroom, guns at the ready. The Agent got up as the Super Soldier took the shield and handed it to him. "Now get the hell out of here." He quickly grabbed all of his costumes and shoved them in the man's arms. "You know the way to the exit."

***

A few minutes after, the agents were all outside. The Agent picked his phone and dialed a number.   
"Agent Casey here. We've got the shield." He fetched something in his pocket, a tube countaining a single blond hair. "Yes. We also have the DNA. To the Bronx? Got it. Yes. Jackson has decided to enroll. Couldn't be prouder. Uh-Uh. I mean, what kind of Dad would I be if I didn't support his choices? Thank you again. Got it. Bye." He then hung up and motionned to the other agents, ordering them to get in their cars. 

***

"No, don't touch that!" Tony grumbled as an agent put a yellow band over one of his cars. They had seized all of his technology. In fact they had seized the whole Avengers tower, even the furniture. Tony only had his bedrobe on, they had considered it was the only thing that was not potentially dangerous. He tried his phone again, only to find it was blocked, completely useless.   
"Mister Stark! Sorry I'm late!" Casey said, entering the room. "Sorry we kinda barged in. But we had orders." The man looked at Tony's phone and made a little face. "Oh yeah, sorry. We blocked all of your access to every network. We're here to inform you that each of your technology is now the property of the United States of America's government, and you are hereby forbidden to build anything for your own benefit, which means no armors, no weapons that you will use yourself. And no armor." He handed him a paper, and Tony started reading it immediately.

"What do you mean by calling superheroism 'illegal'?" He asked, floored. Casey laughed at Tony, almost dearly.   
"Well, it's pretty clear, isn't it? Every person that will engage in crime fighting without being a member of the police forces will be arrested and condemned of course." Tony's eyes bulged.   
"What? Since when?" He asked, balling the paper in his fist.   
"Since you caused the big mayhem that happened last week." The agent replied, getting serious again. "We will now seize... Oh, in your case, it will be everything. And here." He handed Tony another paper. The dark haired man read it and paled. He looked at Casey.   
"Destroy the tower? Is this a joke?" He shouted, as he thrown the paper in a fit of rage. "What is next? You're going to destroy the Xavier Mansion?" But he closed his mouth when he saw the agent nodding.   
"As a matter of fact, yes. We will."   
"And you expect that we're going to let you do that?"   
"It's either you cooperate, or it's the death row for each and everyone of you." Casey announced, smiling proudly. "You've caused enough trouble." He crossed his arm and shrugged, as if to say 'there's nothing you can do.'   
"You're enjoying this, don't you?" Tony spat, clenching his fists as they started moving his belongings. Casey looked down.   
"Oh please. It's not my doing. We have orders." He shrugged, and Tony snorted.

All the agents went out, except for Casey who was the last one to exit.   
"Maybe you should have a drink. You know. Just to cool off a little bit." He meanly added before closing the door behind him. Tony grabbed the remaining chair and sent it crashing on a wall, crackling the paint in his now empty living, fury bubbling inside his veins, corrosive, overwhelming. But there was nothing he could do.

**NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY**

"Hold on, hold on. How come no agents came to claim my gear?" Teddy asked, interrupting Steve's narration as he leaned in and folded his hands in his lap. Steve rubbed his eyes, the memories were painful to him.   
"Because, if I recall, you left the city right after the fight. And, you didn't have much gear to claim back then. Your costume maybe, and that's it."   
"The fight..." The shape shifter chuckled. "Felt more like World War III"   
"Yeah. Can I keep going?" Steve asked. Teddy nodded, bracing himself for the rest of the story.   
"So after the agents came to visit each and everyone of us..." 

**NEW YORK, EIGHT YEARS AGO**

Tony was watching as the building crew finished to settle for the destruction of the tower. There were journalists all around, cameras flashing at him. The cops were trying their best to hold the angry mob that were shouting slurs and insults, holding signs with hateful words on them. Steve patted the dark haired man's shoulder to show his support. Natasha was here too, arms crossed, looking defiant at everyone, but at the same time, completely relaxed as if the insults did not matter to her. Steve figured that being a trained assassin, she did not get distracted easily.   
"They took Banner, you know?" Tony told them quietly. "They take the ones they judge to be too dangerous to roam free and they desappear." Natasha looked at him and squinted.   
"Where did they take him?" She asked, just as quietly as Steve frowned in disgust and anger.   
"Some high security facility, I guess. They took Xavier too. And Grey. I heard they wanted to get Wiccan and Wanda too. But she desappeared before they could get her." The Super Soldier and the assassin exchanged a look.   
"What happened to the kid?" The red haired woman asked, with urgency in her voice.   
"The president himself forbade the agents to touch any of the kids. He said they are too young to be held responsible. But we risk facing a trial for inducing them." Tony replied. Natashe snorted.   
"This is bullshit." She kicked a small rock on the ground.   
"Yeah. But we're the most hated people of the United States right now." Stark said, glancing at the crowd in front of the building. "Soon, we will be accused of every bad things that has happened in it. Speaking of which, don't be surprised if they come to destitute you of your war hero status, Steve." He warned the other man who shook his head.   
"They already did." He announced. "Right after they disbarred Matt."   
"They disbarred Matt?" Tony abruptly cut him. "They can't do that!" he protested vehemently, straightenning up.   
"Yes they can. And they did." Steve replied. "We're done. There's nothing we can do. I wouldn't be surprised if we all ended in jail in a few week." He stated, shoving his fists in his pockets, his shoulders hunched.   
"It won't happen." Tony countered. "When they came back to remove what was left in the tower, they said the only reason they wouldn't arrest us is because we saved too many lives. That's the only thing that made the balance tip in our favor."

Natasha was awfully quiet. Her brow furrowed as thoughts started filling her head.   
"We need to find Banner. Get him the hell out of... Wherever he is." She announced. Her eyes met the faces of the two men who were starring at her, as if she had said something stupid, and she shrugged.   
"What?" She hissed. "We can't leave him there." She insisted.   
"We're being watched. It would be foolish." Steve tried to convince her. Tony remained silent, approving the soldier's opinion.   
"So what? We're just going to let them do their little experiences on him?" The woman groaned. "Hello! We're talking about Bruce! Bruce Banner? Our friend!" She snarled and Tony clenched his jaw.   
"We get it, Natasha. But right now, we're helpless. I can't fight without my armor." He talked back, rather loudly, and a few heads were turning towards them. Steve shushed them, eyes wide.   
"You're making a scene. Stop that. The journalists are already starting to take notes." He warned them, looking over his own shoulder.   
"I don't care. Bruce is a human being. Not just a Hulk." Natasha sneered. "They have no rights."   
"They put him in a coma, if that makes you feel better." Tony informed her. She opened her mouth, but she did not get a chance to answer. The sound of several explosions tore through the air, making everyone around jump and look up. Tony sighed and put his sunglasses on, before turning away, leaving his former teammates on the spot. The Avengers tower collapsed, sending a cloud of dust all around as it slowly came down. The crowd cheered at the fallen symbol, meaning the super heroes era had come to an end.

**NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY**

At this point, Steve had tears in his eyes. He got up and went to look out the window, leaning on his forearm.   
"We still don't know where they took Bruce. Or Xavier. And we never saw Wanda again." His voice was thick, and he coughed a bit, forcing the emotion out of himself. Natasha looked away, her hand tensed around her cup. She wiped a tear discreetly. Teddy cleared his throat.   
"Okay." He said, getting up. "That was enough for today. Save the rest for later." He told them, brushing his hands on his pants. God, he needed to take them off. They felt like they were painted on him, and he hated that.   
"But we still haven't got to the part when we started all of this." Steve reminded him, turning his back to the window. The young man shook his head.   
"It's okay. It can wait." He promised. "This is serious for you guys. I don't want you to force yourself. Just tell me when you're ready." He rubbed his hands on his pants again. "Besides, you had to get up early. Go to sleep, the both of you. You need rest."   
"What about you?" Natasha asked, and the weakness in her voice made the young man shiver.   
"I slept during two days. I'm just gonna change. And go for a walk." He decided. "I still need to wrap my head around all of it. And to call my boss in Seattle to inform him I quit." He said, not even believing his own words.   
"Actually..." Natasha started, and Teddy turned to face her.   
"What? What is it?" He asked, and Natasha looked away awkwardly.   
"You got a few calls when you were out." Steve told the young man. "Two from Candice. One from your boss. And a few from your landlord?" He added, a bit hesitant.   
"Bad news, I guess" The shape shifter muttered, resigned.   
"Well, only from your workplace. You've been fired. Your boss said he couldn't risk putting his employees' lives at risk. But he was willing to give you a letter to recommand you anywhere."   
"What about my landlord?"   
"He informed you that if you don't pay the rent within eight days, your stuff will be moved out." Natasha replied.   
"Great. Awesome." The young man grumbled.   
"We asked a few agents to move your stuff. You'll get it in a few days." Steve informed him. "Sorry about all this. But you were out. We didn't know what to do." He confessed. But Teddy just nodded.   
"No. No. Thank you actually. It's another problem I didn't need." He declared gratefully. "I'm glad you took care of that. I'll repay you." He promised them, a blush forming on his cheeks.

Steve snorted. He waved his hand dismisively and took is own cup of coffee.   
"There's no need, don't worry." The super soldier patted Teddy's shoulder. "Come on roomie. Let me show you your room." He joked. Natasha took this as her cue.   
"Okay boys. I'll leave you to your business. We'll see each other soon." She then exited the appartment. Steve smiled at Teddy and guided him towards a small hallway. They reached the room at the end of it and Steve opened the door. It was not very big, the walls were painted in a dull white, and the wooden floor seemed very recent.   
"I've got an old convertible couch. I'll move it in here. It's not super comfortable, but it will do until we get your bed. Sorry about that." The super soldier apologized. Teddy's eyes were bulging.   
"Are you kidding? It's more than generous. Thank you so much for taking me in, Sir." He babbled, a shy smile blossoming on his face.   
"Hey, we're going to be living together. So call me Steve." The older man laughed. "I know I'm old enough to be your dad, but still." He joked.   
"Okay, okay." Teddy agreed, with a big toothy grin.   
"I'll let you change. If you need anything, I sleep in the other room. Okay, time for me to hit my pillow. There's a spare key on the cabinet. It's yours now. Have fun, and be safe." Then Steve went to his room. Teddy went to fetch his bag and went to his room, quickly changing in a black t-shirt, beige chinos and combat boots. He also added a khaki button up and rolled up the sleeves. Making his way back, wallet in hand, he took the spare key and exited the appartment. It was time for him to reconnect with some old friends.

***

William straightened his tie. The phone had rung all morning long and he was exhausted. His job as Kate's assistant was just a cover, but he took it very seriously. The man in front of him seemed nervous and kept fidgeting in his seat. The dark haired young man smiled reassuringly.   
"Don't worry, it will go fine. It's not everyday that your daughter gets married. Ms Bishop will understand." He promised before picking up the phone. He speed dialed a number. "Yes, your tenth o'clock is here. Sure. Okay." He hung up and motionned towards the door behind him. "Go ahead, Ms Bishop will receive you now." The man thanked him and got up. William went to open the door, still smiling. Once the man got in, he closed the door and went back to sit. He crossed the name of the man in the agenda and started filling some paperwork for Kate.

Two hours after, Kate came out of her office with the man, smiling gently.   
"Thank you so much Ms Bishop, really." He babbled, shaking her hand gratefully.   
"No problem, Robbie. Just remember to congratulate your daughter for me. Make sure to use this week to rest. There's a big campaign coming and I'm going to need you at your top performance." She said, as a real business woman. Robbie nodded and thanked her again, then headed out.   
"I still don't know why they think I'm a dragon?" The young woman wondered out loud.   
"Well, you kinda seem bitchy sometimes." William joked, saving the file before closing the tab. He loosened his tie and looked at the clock. "Wanna go grab something to eat?" He proposed. "I'm kinda starving." Kate huffed.   
"Well, if you actually ate something in the morning..." She scolded him and the young man rolled his eyes.   
"So, what? Now you're going to be behind my butt about everything?" He asked, crossing his arms. "I told you I was going to go out more often, and stop moping. Leave my breakfast habits out of it please."   
"Well you can't blame a girl for making sure you live healthy." She answered softly.   
"I go to the gym twice a week!" William defended himself, outraged. Kate giggled and checked her nails.   
"Seriously Billy, take joke." She told him smugly. The young man swatted at her arm, snorting. "Besides... We need to celebrate the fact that you quit your other activity." She whispered, looking around to make sure there was no one to hear them. A blush crept on the young man's face and he looked away.   
"Yeah... About that. I'm not sure I'll quit actually." He revealed and the young woman crossed her arms, a look of displeasure on her face.   
"Billy, Fu... You-Know-Who's been treating you like shit and made you responsible for every single crap that has happened during the past two months. You can't keep working for the S.H.I.E.L.D!" She hissed rather loudly and William shushed, stealing a glance at the door. He got up and motionned for Kate to follow him in her office. He closed the door behind them and ran a hand through his hair.   
"I can't let him mess with me anymore. But I can't let the criminals roam free either. The town is shitty to live in, and if I need to work with Fury to make it better, so be it. So now I'm just gonna do the job, as I intend to. Fuck Fury." He declared firmly and crossed his arms, looking defiant. Kate seemed impressed.   
"Look who's finally got his fire back. I'll drink to that!" She teased and the young man smiled.   
"Also, you were right about Teddy. I can't keep living in the past. And there's a nice agent who is apparently interested in me. So I may call him to propose something." He confessed. He had been thinking about it all morning. The return of a certain shape shifter in his life, and the little fight with Kate earlier that day had convinced him to give Jackson Casey a chance. Kate patted his shoulder, grinning.   
"I'm glad to hear that. But just so we're clear. No sex on the couch!" She told him, and the William shook his head, laughing. The young woman grabbed his arm and took her purse. "Lunch is on me." She decided, and led him out.

***

It was eight o'clock when Jackson's phone rang. He let go of the weights he was lifting, sweat shining on his skin. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and picked up.   
"Hey there Jackson. It's William, you know, Wiccan?" He heard and smiled.   
"I know who you are, Will." He replied gently.   
"Okay. I know I've turned you down a lot, but I'd like to take it back, if you're still up for a date with me?" William's voice sounded hesitant, and resigned as if he was already convinced Jackson would reject him.   
"Thursday, eight P.M. I'll pick you up." The agent said, a wide smile appearing on his face.   
"Wow, what really?" He heard and could not stiffle a chuckle. "I mean, yes, okay. Thursday, eight P.M."   
"It's a date." Jackson declared fondly. "Prepare for a surprise." He teased, and heard the other laugh at the end of the line.   
"Okay. See you then."   
"See you." The agent answered and hung up. He looked at himself in the big mirror on the wall. He thumbed a number on the screen of his phone and waited. Someone picked up.

"He took the bait." He announced proudly.   
"Good job. But, make sure he doesn't suspect anything. We need his DNA as soon as possible. It's very important, and you mustn't fail."   
"I know, I know. Do not worry. I won't." He promised, his charming smile turning into an evil grin.   
"We need to find a way to counter those reality warping power. His DNA is the key." The mysterious interlocutor reminded him.   
"I know. Don't worry, I'll get it." The agent promised, and the other hung up on him.

Jackson wiped the sweat out of his abs and laughed. "So long, Kaplan."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the very long break I took from this fic. I hope that, for those of you who were actually waiting for an update, this chapter won't be too disappointing. I'll end this by saying that I feel much better now. A big thank you to Laura again, becuse she sticks with me and my stories and is always hyped up when I talk about my progress. As for you all, I hope you'll still like what happens in this small journey =)

Shit, shit, shit. That was not good. Teddy took cover behind a wall and took a moment to put the bones of his hand back in place. He could not even hit the guys. They were too strong for him. He heard the distinctive 'clang' of Captain's shield hitting something when the man rolled besides him.

"There's no way hurting these guys!" He grumbled, putting his grey shield on his back, blood dripping from his forehead and bruises blossoming all over his face. Teddy cracked the last bone and grimaced.

"I thought the people that took the cocktail MGH/super soldier serum looked like monsters after a while?" The young man replied through gritted teeth. Looking back to the fight, he saw Natasha roll away from one of the guys, blood dripping from her nose. A cloud of blue energy swept her up, out of grasp. The same blue energy knocked the enhanced man a few feet back, as Billy's hooded figure hovered above their heads with Ororo and Johnny to prevent their teammates on the ground from being hurt badly. But unfortunately, their gusts of wind, fireballs and magic bolts were not enough. The enhanced got back on his feet quickly, and was joined by five others, men and women, all bulky and threatening, but other than that, they all looked normal. The four agents of S.H.I.E.L.D present started firing their guns, but none seemed to harm them.

"I thought so too. We're in deep shit." Steve swore, before he ran back into the fight. Teddy shifted back to his Hulkling body and ran after him. He made his skin thicker and his muscles even bigger than before. The claws on his hands grew longer and harder and he attacked.

"Storm! We have a fire over there!" Clint shouted over the chaos, making them all wince as his voice exploded through their ear comm.

"I can't put it out without putting Torch out too." The white haired woman shouted back, throwing a lightning at one of the enhanced.

"I can make his fire inextinguishable. Go!" William told her, and waved his hand at Johnny. The fire covering the Human Torch's body was suddenly highlighted in blue, and Storm took it as her cue. She threw her hands up, and clouds started forming, rumbling against the ceiling of the huge room.

A heavy rain started falling as Teddy and Steve did their best to take their enemies down. They punched, kicked, without the others showing any signs of injuries. An arrow latched itself on Teddy's opponent and started beeping. The young man jumped away as it exploded, successfully knocking the guy out but he had not managed to put enough distance between him and the criminal and he felt his arm get burned. He simply waited until his healing factor kicked in and turned his head towards the archer.

"Hawkeye! Do that again!" He shouted. But an enhanced grabbed him by the neck and started choking him. Steve jumped on the criminal's back, trying to pull him away, joined by Natasha, making the man laugh madly.

"Gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him." He told Black Widow, as Teddy fought to breathe. Captain grabbed his shield and slammed it in the man's face repeatedly, until he heard a crack. The criminal grunted and clutched his nose, letting go of the shapeshifter.

"Everybody up!" Johnny yelled, and he threw a fireball that exploded in the middle of the enemies' group. The rain was still falling heavily on all of them. Storm's eyes went wide.

"William, get them all up!" She told the mage who was still firing useless magic bolts at the enhanced group. He looked taken aback, but he seemed to catch her drift and he did not think twice before lifting each of his teammates and the agents that were on the ground in the air. Storm threw her arms forward, and the clouds above their heads exploded in a real electric firework, conducted by the wet floor. The criminals all let out choked groans and fell down, spasming.

"Will? It's up to you now." Steve said, damp and hovering towards the young man, putting a hand on his shoulder. Wiccan nodded, and landed, before starting to cast erasing spells.

***

"That was close tonight." Natasha muttered as Clint tended to her wounds in the jet. They were heading back to the Headquarters and the archer sighed heavily.

"I don't understand how HYDRA managed to duplicate the serum." He replied. "If they keep enhancing regular people, we're fucked."

Not far from them, William was healing Steve. Gentle waves of blue light were swirling from his hands to the soldier's face and body, mending his skin, and slowly drying him in the process.

"I'm fine, Will. You're exhausted. Take a break." The older man said softly, and William lifted his brown eyes to his face.

"I'm almost done." He protested, but Steve grabbed his wrist gently, making him stop dead.

"Take a break Will. I can heal just fine by myself." The young man huffed and got up, pulling his hood down. His hair was messy and damp, and dark circles were spreading under his eyes. He rubbed his face tiredly.

"Okay. Then I'll go heal someone else." He grumbled, and Steve sighed as the mage joined Clint and Natasha. Teddy sat down next to the soldier and sighed, eyeing his slowly healing arm.

"Note to self. Fire, bad." The shapeshifter mumbled, trying to diffuse the tension. And failing, he noticed as Steve grimaced. He looked down and remained silent.

"Hey guys? Cheer up maybe? I mean, we succeeded right?" Johnny said loudly, a wide smile on his face, but all of his teammates just glared at him and he snorted. "Oh, come on! You can't tell me you're not a tiny bit satisfied at least!" He insisted, disbelief slowly painting his features. Storm just brushed the dust off her cape, and the agents just ignored him. After giving the Torch the stink eye, William went back to healing Natasha, his wet hair slowly dripping down his face. He brushed back the locks that were falling in his eyes, and sent another wave of blue light towards the red haired woman's face with a gentle flick of his fingers.

"Right. Let's ignore the fact that we're all bleeding, and bruising. Oh, and Natasha's nose his broken. And Teddy nearly got choked to death." Clint grumbled. "But yay! We beat the bad guys. Champagne all around." He got up and threw his archery glove on the seat next to him. "Moron." He finished, before exiting the cabin and pulling out his hearing aids. Natasha grimaced, and grabbed Steve by the wrist, as he tried to follow the archer.

"Don't. He needs to be alone. In silence." She sighed and Steve sat down, defeated. William removed his hands from Natasha's face and got up, going to the agents. He healed them one after the other, growing more and more unable to hide his wince every time he cast a spell. He was about to erase the cut on Jackson's face when the young man grabbed his hand and held it.

"It's just a cut, Will. Go rest. I'll heal just fine." He said softly, the corners of his mouth slightly turning upwards, and the mage nodded. Teddy looked away, biting his lower lip. Billy still refused to talk to him, and he was now certain that something was going on between him and that agent Casey. God. His insides were burning with jealousy. He got up and exited the cabin too, unable to watch them together. Steve and Natasha were the only ones that seemed to notice, and they exchanged knowing looks, remaining silent.

Once the door of the cabin closed behind him, Teddy exhaled shakily, running a hand over his face and swallowing his tears. He sat down in the small hallway of the miniature Helicarrier, resting his elbows on his knees, one hand curled around the other in front of his face. He could not shake the memory of the last time he and Billy had talked, the day after they were reunited.

**NEW YORK, THREE WEEKS AGO**

Alright. He could do this. Teddy was shuffling awkwardly in front of Tommy's apartment door. He had managed to get a text back from him, and to his surprise, the speedster had invited him to come over for a few. Licking his lips, the young man knocked shyly, before burying his fists in his pockets. He looked up when the door opened and could not help the shocked expression that washed over his features. Tommy had changed so much. He had grown a lot, like Billy, and his face was way more angular than before. Huge dark circles were spreading over his eyes, that looked as empty as Billy's when he had looked at Teddy. But if Billy had seemed broken, Tommy just seemed dead. A thick white beard was covering his cheeks and chin, and he was huge now. As huge as Captain America, muscles distorting the green plaid button up he was wearing. What struck Teddy the most was how much he looked like Quicksilver at the moment, well. With a beard, sharper face features and longer hair. A mean smile blossomed on Tommy's face and he opened the door widely.

"Well, if it isn't Traitor number two. Come in, Ted. I don't have much time." He urged, his voice deeper and raspier than Billy's, but still similar to the mage's, if only rougher. Teddy entered, still in shock and spotted an ashtray full of cigarette butts.

"Tommy..." He began, but was cut short by the other young man who lifted his hand, and downed a glass full of whiskey. He exhaled loudly and licked his lips. Teddy shivered, feeling his brow furrow with sadness.

"Nah. Stay quiet Ted. I mean, it's been eight years of silence from you. I can live without you talking." He said, his mean grin widening and the shapeshifter felt the sudden urge to cry. "Oh, and before you ask, no I'm not drunk. It's my first glass this morning." The speedster rubbed his hands together and put on a pair of boots. "So, you wanna catch up, Hulkling?" He asked. "I don't have time anymore. Funny for someone that could run fast, right?" He chuckled darkly, and Teddy grew more and more uneasy.

"Could?" He uttered, and Tommy let out a joyless laugh.

"Ah, yeah. I forgot you weren't here when Traitor number one wiped my powers away. Excuse me for forgetting you, Ted. I mean, it's easy forgetting someone, you know?" He sneered, and it hurt more than Teddy was willing to admit. In front of him was another proof of how bad he had fucked up, it was not complicated to put two and two together, he had heard about what Billy did to the criminals they arrested and he felt his features collapse a bit more. "Please, keep the kicked puppy look for someone who cares. I don't have time for you Teddy. I'm slow now. Very slow. So slow I can't even process anything. So in your text, you said you wanted my dear brother's address? I noted it down for you." The white haired young man thrusted a piece of paper in Teddy's hand as he grabbed his jacket. "You'll find him there. I sincerely hope he'll break your face. Now get out." He pointed at the door, ignoring the tears building in Teddy's eyes.

A part of the shapeshifter wanted to challenge Tommy to break his face himself, but he realized he would not do it. The young man in front of him was void. And he bit his lower lip, his chest painfully tight and retreated towards the door, feeling Tommy's eyes burning the back of his skull. Before exiting, he turned his head towards his former friend. He cleared his throat to prevent the sob that threatened to come out.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry." He let out, and he did not recognize his own voice. Tommy shook his head.

"It's worth nothing. Goodbye." And the young man slammed his door to his face as soon as he stepped out.

It took everything Teddy had in him to actually go to the address. In fact it took hours. It was a week day, so Billy was probably at work. After all, Steve and Natasha had told him he worked with Kate. The sun was setting over Manhattan when the young man arrived in front of the door of the mage's apartment. His heart was speeding. Was it a good idea? Last time, Billy had not been pleased. He counted to ten and knocked, already wincing. But then, a young woman with black hair, blue eyes and a very surprised expression appeared as the door opened.

"Hey Kate..." He muttered, and next thing he knew, she was hugging him hard. He smiled fondly and hugged her back. The young woman broke the hug and took a step back, studying him.

"Oh, shit. Eight years Teddy!" She sighed. "Eight years. Why didn't you call?" The young woman asked, sad and angry, and the shape shifter looked down in shame. "Come in. Billy is still in the shower." Teddy looked back at her, full of dread. "Don't worry, I'll temper things if they get too heated. My god..." Kate whispered, closing the door behind him as he took in the sight of the apartment. It was big, and well decorated in warm brown, beige and white.

"You two live together?" He asked the young woman as she went to the glass cabinet in the kitchen.

"Wait. I'm going to need coffee. Screw that. Wine it is." She groaned as she also took a bottle. She sat by the kitchen Isle and Teddy did the same awkwardly. "Yeah. We're roommates. But it's mostly so I can keep an eye on him." She still was studying his face, maybe searching for something that had changed, but the look on her face showed she did not find anything. "You haven't changed in a bit. Well, you look older, but other than that... What have you been up to? Where have you been? We've all been worried sick!"

"Seattle. I've been bartending." The young man offered, and blushed when he saw her features collapse. "I... I'm sorry. I know I should have called. I just... God, what I did was bad. I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me anymore. All of you." He apologized, and felt ridiculous. He was a coward. He had preferred to run instead of facing the mess he had caused. And now, everything was just wrong. But the cold stare Kate was shooting him made him want to turtle on himself.

"Seriously? You ran away because of that?" The young woman scolded him. "I don't remember any of you being hard on me after Eli and I broke up. Or being hard on Eli. I thought you had left because Billy had thrown you out. But it was because you didn't want to man up and face your mistakes?" She asked in disbelief. She put her glass down and kept her eyes on his face. "Do you have any idea of what Billy went through after that?" Her tone was sharp, accusing and anger started to bubble inside Teddy.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure it must have been hard." He groaned. "But what about how I felt? Does anyone care about that? I was convinced he had bewitched me. Hell, I wasn't even sure I was real! He's a reality warper, damn it!"

"Teddy, you cheated on him! If there ever was a spell, do you think it would have been possible for you to do so?" Kate hissed. "If Billy had created you to be his boyfriend, you'd still be his boyfriend." She got up and turned her back on him. "Fuck. And here I was, thinking you only wanted to give him space, when you just... Eloped with the new love of your life?" Teddy got up as she turned around to face him again.

"I fell in love with David! And you know why? Because he didn't make me feel like he needed to be carried around all the time." He stated, not seeing the horrified look on Kate's face.

"Because that's what you felt when you were with me?"

Ice. It felt like ice spreading through his digestive system. Teddy turned around to see Billy, arms crossed, his eyebrows high on his forehead. He did not seem sad, angry or shaken in any way. Just... Compliant.

"That explains all." The dark haired young man said with his raspy voice. Teddy wondered why his voice was like that for a second, but he was pulled from this thought when his ex boyfriend passed by him to pour himself some coffee. "Why are you here?" The mage finally asked, and Kate hurried out of the room, giving them privacy.

"We need to talk, you and I." Teddy replied shoving his fists in his pockets, his eyes glued to the back of Billy's head.

"I have nothing to say to you. As far as I'm concerned, we were done eight years ago. So yeah." He turned around to face Teddy, face blank.

"To me we're not. We need to discuss about everything. Come on, Billy..."

"It's William now." The mage cut him dryly. "You don't get to call me Billy. In fact, you don't get to call me anything. I want you out of my life. Think you can do that for me?" He demanded, making the shape shifter clench his jaw.

"Come on! There's a thing I gotta tell you..."

"No! Do you know what happened after you decided to leave with David? Do you know how hard it has been? I've spent eight years fearing to get close to anyone, eight years carrying doubts and guilt about you! I've made huge mistakes that added to all of that. My parents had to leave because the city was not safe while I chose to stay because of my job with Fury, and I can't call them because if I do they might get in danger. And Tommy..."

"Yeah! Let's talk about Tommy! How could you do that to him? Why haven't you broken the spell?" He shouted. "That's horrible, have you seen him lately? I guess you haven't." Kate hurried back in the room, looking furious.

"You don't know shit about Tommy!" She shouted, putting herself between the two of them. "What Billy did was needed! So learn before talking." Teddy turned his focus to her and crossed his arms.

"Whatever happened, I'm sure he knows it was a mistake now. Why wouldn't you undo what you did?" He called out, looking back to Billy whose hands were shaking.

"Because I can't!" He blurted out, turning bright red with anger. "Whatever spell I cast is everlasting! I can't break it! I've already tried, many times, even with Stephen. And even with Wan..."

"Billy don't!" Kate stopped him short, and the young man gasped. He looked at Teddy who stood there, going limp, and tears welling in his eyes.

"Which means... I'm still... Oh my..." He babbled quietly, realization hitting him with the strength of a kick in the stomach.

"We can't be sure of that." Kate tried to reason, but the hand Billy placed on her shoulder made her go silent.

"If there is a spell, I'll work harder to undo it. My training is done, but I need to practice a bit more. I'll free you. But in the mean time, I don't want to see you around me. We're nothing. Colleagues. I don't need that weight on me." And that made Teddy see red.

"You're a fucking coward! You cast spells on people and you don't have the guts to face it!" He thundered. The mage squared his shoulders and got into his space.

"Are you sure you wanna talk to me about cowardice, Mister I-Disappeared-For-Eight-Years?" He asked, eyes burning with so much determination and anger it made Teddy take a step back. "Because, out of the two of us, Teddy, you're the biggest coward. I stayed when you chose to leave. I was in plain sight, getting punched in the hallways of my school, facing all kinds of hate when you chose to hide. I walk in the streets with everyone looking at me funnily because they know everything about my life, and I visit Tommy from time to time to make sure he hasn't done something bad, knowing it's my duty because I've ruined his life, and that I deserve every insult he'll throw my way. Can you say the same, Teddy?" He finished. The shape shifter could not answer. There was nothing he could say. "Yeah. I didn't think so." Billy put the cup of coffee down on the table. "So now you get out of here. Unless there is something more you want to add. I don't want you around when I'm finally getting a hold of my life."

Teddy just nodded. He turned around and went out of the building.

**SOMEWHERE ABOVE NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY**

So yeah. Maybe his feelings were still the product of Billy's magic. Maybe he was nothing more than a magic construct. Maybe Loki had been right all along when he had told him about the possibility of Billy warping reality to get him. But it was unbearable, seeing the man he loved with another, even if his feelings were nothing but an illusion. The young mage had said he was getting a hold of his life, and that was probably what he meant. He was seeing someone.

A burning tear landed on Teddy's folded hand and he blinked, surprised. He rubbed his eyes angrily, refusing to cry. His talk with Tommy, and later Billy had struck some sense inside him. Whatever shit was thrown his way, he definitely deserved it. How was it possible for him to be so blind? He needed to make things right, whatever it took. The door slid open behind him and he startled.

"You okay kiddo?" Natasha asked, sitting down next to him. The young man nodded and she patted his back gently. "How's your throat?"

"I'm resistant. Not even sore. Thanks for jumping on the guy." He answered, letting a small smile appear on his lips. "It went pretty well today." He commented.

"Yeah. We didn't destroy the building for once." Natasha chuckled. Teddy looked at her, biting his lips.

"I... There's just one thing I don't get. How come no one has realized a group of vigilante is taking down villains? I mean, what we're doing is completely illegal, and super criminals losing their powers, and the memories of who did that to them... It should draw attention." He asked.

"It has." The red haired woman replied. "But so far, the government hasn't been able to gather any evidence. And the super criminals are not stupid enough to go report the fact that they woke up powerless and without remembering how they lost them. So yeah. The villains community knows someone is taking them down one by one in New York City. They just don't know who. As for the government, they try to corner us, but thanks to a little bit of technology and magic help, they don't have anything. As for the money we all get from working in this, it comes from our official places of work. We have some agents that are great with computers." She told him and Teddy nodded. Natasha smiled and touched his ear. "You didn't get your piercings done." She remarked. The young shape shifter groaned.

"I didn't have time. Why did they pull them out in the first place?" He demanded. "They should have known about my healing factor." He pointed out.

"Well, seeing you were knocked out for a while, Fury wanted to make sure you were okay. So you had an MRI to make sure the tranquilizer didn't mess with your brain or something. The holes were already healed when they tried to put your earrings back. Sorry."

"It's okay. I'll get them done again."

Natasha got up, pulling him up along with her. She smiled dearly at him.

"We're landing in a few moments. Are you gonna be okay after that? Do you need anything?" Teddy looked at her, a warm feeling spreading in his chest. He simply pulled her in a tight hug. She stiffened, surprised, but hugged back. "Oh, okay." She mumbled, rubbing his back gently before breaking the hug.

"I'm going to see Tony this afternoon. Gotta get familiar with my job." He told her. "And I need my new costume. He said it would be ready. This one is getting old." He looked down at his black and purple suit. "What do you think?"

"I think a change will do you good." The red haired woman replied softly, putting a hand on his cheek. "Okay. We should go sit down before landing." She put a hand on his shoulder and guided him back inside the cabin.

***

"Why do you keep invading my space?" Tommy grumbled as he opened the door to see Kate and William there. "I don't wanna see you. Well, actually, I don't wanna see you." He emphasized, pointing to his twin who simply nodded. His former teammates entered his apartment under his protests.

"Oh, Tommy, shut up!" Kate groaned. "Bi... William has something to tell you. I think you should sit." She said, her tone softer. The young man turned to the mage who shot him a small smile.

"I think I know how to give you your powers back." William said, which caused Tommy to frown.

"We've already been there. Your spell can't be broken, you said it yourself." He reminded, getting angry. "I refuse to be one of your toys. Go curse someone else." He spat. William bit his lips, rolling his eyes.

"I've learned how to control my reality warping powers so I don't need to wish for something to happen, consciously, or not. But that doesn't mean I know enough magic to undo what I did in the past. But I've been studying. Stephen and Wanda have been helping me a lot, and after debating on some various spells, we've finally found a way for me to power you back." The dark haired young man revealed quietly, almost shyly. But now Tommy was furious.

"Oh, so you've been seeing Wanda, uh? Well, it's great to see that our dear 'mother' cares about me. She didn't even visit me once. The last I've heard was she had disappeared. Guess she hasn't, actually. Must feel good to be her golden boy, uh?" He sneered. He knew that made William feel bad. The way his features fell, and how he hunched his shoulders. "But then again, it was always about you after we found out she was our actual mother."

"I haven't been seeing her. Not really. She was a projection. And she always asks about you." William replied sadly. "She had to lay low. They're still on the hunt for her. She cares about you. More than you think. You did not disappoint her like I did, at least. She's just afraid of reaching out to you. She thinks she has failed you. So trust me. I'm not her golden boy." He whispered. "Now, do you want your powers back or not?" He asked, wanting to change the subject of their talk. Tommy glared at him, suspicious.

"Is this a trap?"

"No. There's a ritual I gotta do. I just need you to agree. Please. Let me fix it. Let me fix you."

Tommy thought for a second. He studied his twin brother, his features hard. He was ready to say no when he felt Kate put a hand on his forearm. He looked at the young woman, and saw her pleading look. He licked his lips and nodded.

"Okay. It better work. But if I end up with extra arms, I'm punching you with each one of them, Traitor." He grumbled, but a smile slowly unfurled on his lips as William got up, turning his back to them to look through his bag. "And, William? Thank you."

A few minutes after, they were settled. Tommy was facing his brother in a circle of candles. The symbols the mage had drawn on the floor were glowing faintly, and William was rubbing his hands together, mumbling nonsense, eyes closed. When he opened them, they were glowing brightly. He grabbed Tommy's hands, and the candle flames suddenly flared and turned blue, as the symbols shone brighter. And suddenly, Tommy felt like he was struck by lightning. He opened his mouth on a silent scream, but it brutally stopped. The young man looked at his brother, panting. The mage was clutching his nose, looking horrified. Blood was spilling past his fingers.

"It didn't work, did it?" Tommy said harshly. "Get out of here. Come back once you've found a way to give me my powers back." He grabbed his twin brother by the collar and shoved him outside, Kate shouting and pulling him by the arm to make him let go. William was bleeding a lot, too tired to even protest, shaking and trying to prevent the blood from spilling too much. Tommy threw his brother's bag out as well, and slammed the door.

Kate was shaking. Tears were shining in her eyes as she held her best friend. She checked his face, biting her lips, her breath ragged.

"Let's get you home." She whispered, and the young man nodded.

***

"I don't know why it didn't work. It should have worked." Billy muttered, looking at Kate with eyes full of distress. He was still bleeding heavily, his face ashen.

"Billy, you're still bleeding. I think we can put this failure aside for the moment." The young woman stated firmly, trying to stop the bleeding with a tissue. Their sink was already full of soaked ones. "Oh my God. You're hemorrhaging. We need to call someone, or get you to the hospital." But the young man was shaking his head franticly.

"No. Not the hospital. They won't do anything. They'll just let me bleed out." He tried the wipe the blood away, but it gushed out again, staining the front of his shirt. "I need to go to the HQ. They'll help me there."

"I can't let you go alone!" Kate protested.

"But I can't let you near the base. You're not a member of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury will kill me if I bring you there." The young man pointed out, pinching his nose.

"Screw that. If I need to be in to make sure you're safe, then I'm in." Kate growled. She exited the bathroom and gathered her stuff. Billy eyed her with disbelief.

"It's not like if we can take the subway there." He sneered. "I'll teleport us." But his best friend shook her head angrily.

"You won't use your powers until we make sure you're okay." She grabbed his phone under his protest and she dialed a number. "Fury? This is Kate Bishop. Send someone ASAP, Billy is bleeding out." She ignored the hiss her best friend let out about his first name. "I don't care that you're not a taxi agency! You send someone to pick us right now, or I swear I'll put an arrow up your ass! I don't care! Oh, trust me, if I have to find you myself, I will." She hung up and this time she took her phone. The young woman dialed again and waited. "Clint? I know it's been a while, but I need you. Billy is bleeding out, and Fury doesn't seem to want to pick him up to the HQ. No he can't teleport there, I wouldn't be calling you otherwise, I know you're not allowed to talk to me. Seriously? Oh, you're a gem. We'll wait for you downstairs. Yes I'm coming. I have something to settle with your dear director. Thanks. See you in a few."

The young woman tossed her phone in her purse and took another tissue. She gave it to Billy and grabbed his hand. The young man seemed pissed, but then again, the only thing Kate could see was his eyes. The rest was hidden behind the tissue that was quickly turning red.

They did not have to wait for very long. Clint arrived with his car and started driving as soon as they got in. He drove through Manhattan swiftly, eyeing them in the rearview mirror.

"What happened? He's paler than a ghost." He asked, looking back to the road.

"I tried to give Tommy his powers back." Billy replied, still clutching the tissue to his face. "It failed. I didn't stop bleeding after that."

"When did it happen?" The archer asked, driving further and further inside Manhattan, which made Kate frown.

"Thirty minutes ago. Maybe forty five. Don't tell me you guys were stupid enough to build your headquarters in the middle of Manhattan?" She groaned. Clint laughed. and kept driving. He entered an underground parking lot, not far from where the Avengers tower stood.

"There's a teleporter hidden in here." Clint replied, voice full of mischief, and Kate made a face.

"Seriously? You're shitting me, right?" She hissed as the man stopped the car after he parked in a deserted corner.

"Yes Kate. Chill. We're going to use an hidden entryway." The older man said.

"Oh my God. You really built the HQ in the middle of Manhattan!" The young woman sighed as she helped Billy out of the car. He was shaking uncontrollably now, his tissue damp with blood. Clint led the way to what seemed to be an elevator, but when he pressed his finger on the button, the door opened on a large hallway with white walls. Kate attempted to follow Clint but as soon as she came close to the door she froze.

"What are we doing here? Shit, I've got things to do." She mumbled as she turned her back, letting go of Billy who did his best not to collapse. The young man grunted, raising a hand urgently. He muttered something and a wave of blue light erupted from his trembling fingers, undulating to his best friend's head, and making her eyes glow for a second. Kate blinked and turned around to face him again. "Fuck. What happened?" The young woman asked, grabbing the mage and helping through the door. She kept her eyes on him, making sure he was okay.

"Cloaking spell." Billy mumbled. "I had this idea while reading Harry Potter." He explained. "Every people that is not part of the S.H.I.E.L.D who comes near will suddenly forget why they're here, and suddenly remember they have things to do." He couldn't explain further, a large quantity of blood suddenly gushed out of his nose. The young man swayed dangerously on his feet.

"Let's get him there before he dries out." Clint urged, and he lifted Billy off the ground, over his right shoulder, as he protested weakly, and rushed in the hallway, Kate on his heels.

***

"Okay. Ice should stop the bleeding." The Agent said, removing her gloves and pushing her glasses up her nose. "It's normal. You went a bit overboard with the spell you tried to cast. But don't be afraid. You would just have passed out. Otherwise you would have died while performing it." She handed a bottle of water to Billy, who attempted to smile despite the bag of ice sitting on his face.

"Thanks Nora." He replied softly, and Kate nodded while Clint sat down. Nora crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair.

"So, you're not gonna tell me what kind of spell it was?" She asked, studying the three of them. The Agent rolled her eyes when none of them answered. "Anyway, just remember to eat and drink a lot. You lost a lot of blood. And of course, no more magic." She instructed. "Not until tomorrow at least. And if you bleed again, you come back to me immediately." Kate cocked her head, studying the dark skinned woman.

"How do you know so much about... All this?" She asked curiously. Nora smiled at her proudly and got up to walk towards the door.

"I studied everything I could to be able to treat each and every kind of superheroes." She replied.

"She's a superdoctor." Clint intervened, and Nora winked.

"I'll go inform Fury of what happened. Do you want me to tell Jackson you're here?" The doctor asked, chuckling when she saw Billy turn bright red. "Oh, come on. It's not a secret anymore." She teased him, and the mage simply nodded shyly. Nora winked again, and exited the room. Kate squeezed Billy's arm.

"You okay?" The young woman asked gently, and Billy gave her a thumbs up. Clint kept his eyes on him, squinting slightly. He crossed his arms, and put his feet up on Nora's desk.

"So you and Jackson really are a thing then. I didn't want to believe it." The older man said, his tone playful.

"We're not really a thing. We just went on a date once." Billy explained, is voice muffled because of the bag of ice. "But, yeah. I like him. I mean, he's always been nice to me, I never scared him, unlike the other agents."

"Plus, he's also very handsome." Kate commented with a smirk making her best friend chuckle.

"Yeah. That too." He conceded, and the door opened, Fury and Jackson stepped in. The director of the S.H.I.E.L.D looked downright annoyed. Jackson simply walked towards Billy's bed and sat next to it, taking the mage's hand in his. Billy was still holding his tissue drenched in blood, but Jackson didn't seem to mind. He took it from Billy and put it in the back pocket of his pants mindlessly.

"What happened?" He asked softly, squeezing the young man's hand. "Nora told me it was a spell that went wrong?" Fury huffed and crossed his arms.

"You've gone after a criminal alone again? I want a report, Kaplan." The older man groaned.

"No, it was a personal matter." Kate replied before Billy could open his mouth, getting up and crossing her arms, mirroring Fury's position, challenging him. He eyed her with disdain.

"Once again, it's none of your business Miss Bishop. Stay out of this." He stated firmly, but Kate shook her head.

"Do you think you can just arrive here and declare that you want to be a part of it?" Fury hissed. "Sorry, but it takes more than that."

"I'm vouching for her." Clint declared flatly. "Welcome back, Hawkeye." He told the young woman with a wide smile. Kate flashed a shit eating grin at Fury who looked like he was about to explode.

"Casey!" He thundered. "Call Stark. Tell him to come. We need a uniform for Bishop." He then stormed out. Jackson let out a sigh.

"Okay. Don't disappear. I'll come back soon." The agent promised the mage, kissing his hand softly. He then got up and went out. Kate frowned when she saw him push the paper tissue deeper in his pocket, but she shrugged it off.

"You didn't have to do that." Billy whispered. "I don't want you to come back for me. You said you didn't want to be a superhero anymore." He added sorrily. But his best friend shook her head.

"Shut your mouth, Billy. I'm doing what's right. Besides, I need action. I'm tired of not being able to go out at night because of the criminals. I'm in." She insisted. "Now rest before you start bleeding again."

***

A few hours after, Teddy was back at the headquarters, rushing to the hospital wing. He had not bothered changing and was still wearing the costume Tony had told him he should wear when he was acting as his bodyguard. He had also shifted so his hair was shorter, no more falling in his eyes. He walked quickly and just as he was about to reach the door, Kate exited, freezing for a second. She closed the door behind her.

"He's asleep. Jackson is with him." She informed the shape shifter, pulling him away by the arm. "Look, I'm sorry we fought. But there's something I need to talk to you about. That's why I texted you. Gosh, I hope Clint doesn't suspect anything." She seemed nervous, stealing glances at the door. Teddy frowned and looked at the door as well.

"What is it?" He asked, lowering his voice. Kate pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, biting her lips and looking around.

"I may be paranoid, just so you know. But there's something weird. Billy had a pretty heavy nosebleed earlier. When we arrived here, Jackson came and he put the tissue Billy was using to stop the bleeding in his pocket. He didn't throw it away when he got out, but he pushed deeper in his pocket. He's with him now, and I can assure you the tissue isn't in his pocket anymore." Teddy clenched his jaw, disgust and anger flaring in his chest. He looked straight in the young woman's eyes.

"What are you doing, Kate?" He whispered with displeasure. "Are you trying to turn me against Billy's new boyfriend or what?" The young man asked her suspiciously. "Is it a twisted way to make sure I'll stay away from Billy by causing a fight? Because that's a dick move. I never suspected that from you." He groaned.

"That's not... Come on Teddy!" The young woman hissed. "I wouldn't do that. But you gotta admit that's weird!"

"He probably tossed the tissue away. When you said something was wrong, I didn't imagine it was for something like that. Really, that's mean. So what? You realized I still have feelings for Billy so you're counting on me to fuck up again by ruining his relationship?" He asked, calming himself. "I know I gotta pay for what I've done to him. You don't have to do that. Trust me, you don't need that to make me stay away from him. He made it clear that he didn't want me in his life." But the young woman was shaking her head stubbornly.

"No! You don't understand! Billy is still bleeding from time to time. It's a drop, or two, but the guy has been wiping everything every time. And he's not tossing any tissue. I know, I checked the trashcan when he was not looking. Why would he do that?" She insisted angrily. Teddy let out a furious breath through his nose.

"Let it go, Kate." He commanded. "You're just seeing things. Has the guy done anything for you to go all suspicious on him all of the sudden?"

"You mean besides taking samples of my best friend's blood?" Kate argued, putting her hands on her waist. But she looked down tiredly. "I don't know. The only time I saw him, he's been very nice, and kind to Billy." She looked up at Teddy, grimacing. "Sorry. Guess that's not really something you wanted to know." But the shape shifter just swallowed the jealousy down. "I don't know. But it's rubbing me off the wrong way. I refuse to let anyone hurt Billy again."

"Why do you feel so entitled to look after him anyway?" Teddy asked.

"Well, because no one else would if I didn't." Her answer was sharp and unforgiving. "He's all alone. So I'm staying. And I swear to you, I'll find out what the deal is with this guy." Kate stated, and Teddy shook his head.

"I think you're just being overprotective. I don't know the guy, but if he's as nice as you say, there's no reason to act like you do." He tried to argue, but she made a face.

"You were a nice guy too, Teddy." She simply said. The young man huffed, shocked.

"Screw you Kate." He growled and left her there, surprised by his outburst. He could not breathe. He needed to be away, he needed to be alone. He kept walking through the hallways of the HQ, until he found an empty room where he sat down. He wiped the bitter tears that were rolling down his cheeks and stared at the wall. He hated that. Now doubt was starting to take roots in his head. What if Kate was right in the end? Maybe Billy was in danger? What if Casey was actually taking samples of his blood? No. That was not possible. He was probably going to toss the tissues away. And even if he actually kept them, maybe that was some kind of weird kink. That thought was gross, and it made Teddy grimace.

Great. He knew he was going ahead of a lot of trouble. But he needed to know if Kate was true or not.

"Teddy, you're screwed." He muttered to himself, getting up again.

***

"I hope it's enough." Jackson said to the man in front of him as he dropped the plastic bag on the desk. It was full of blood stained paper tissue.

"What is this shit?" The man asked, disgusted, putting the files he was reading down. He poked the plastic with a pen as if it was going to jump to his face.

"You wanted Kaplan's DNA, so there you go. If I have to kiss him again, I swear I'll puke in his mouth." Jackson grumbled, taking a seat in front of the man who let out a mocking laugh.

"Oh, come on. I know about your... Tastes. So, thanks for the blood. But I'm going to need saliva, and hair too. I'll leave the other secretion aside." The man told him meanly, going back to the files, as Jackson blushed brightly. "I'm going to take down the Avengers and the S.H.I.E.L.D. I would have already if it wasn't for our 'friend'. He said he'd help us, but only if we took Kaplan down once and for all. It's all about revenge, it seems. I have to say, I quite like it. I wish you were that vindictive sometimes. It's a shame, you really lack fire sometimes."

"I didn't come here to get a lecture, Dad." Jackson protested weakly.

"Leave, son. And come back once you've gathered everything we need to take the Kaplan boy down." Mister Casey told his son, dismissive. He kept pretending to read until the young man went out. He then looked up. "Stop hiding. You know I can sense you, even invisible."

A form undulated in a corner of the room, slowly appearing. Mister Casey smirked as the young man sat in front of him.

"I see the serum works. I hope our little Rogue is not too drained." He commented. "I'm amazed. Inventing a serum that allows you to duplicate powers with just a bit of DNA from our dear Rogue. You really are a genius. Too bad it doesn't last long, right, Mister Alleyne?"

"It doesn't matter. I just want my powers back. And after we get rid of Billy, I won't need this anymore. Are you planning on telling him you're a mutant?" David asked, crossing his arms. The older man chuckled.

"Telling whom? My son? He doesn't need to know. Besides, having enhanced intuition is not what you can call a mutation. Let's say it's a gift." Mister Casey played coy, and David huffed.

"Alright." He agreed. "As you wish. What do we do about Ms Richards?"

"Nothing. Let her spread the word. Let them dread us. They won't even know what's upon them until we strike. Go work on your formula, Mister Alleyne. We have two problems to take down."

"Yes sir."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of mental illness, I won't say more here, but please, please, read the foot notes , it 's a major plot point, and I don't want to spoil anything, but if you are triggered by this, please go to the end of the chapter and read the notes, I will develop exactly what I mean by that.
> 
> I sincerely apologize for what you're about to read in this chapter. It gets really sad and awful =/.
> 
> I had to add my own touch to the mechanics of Billy's powers for the sake of the story. It's pretty hard to know if it has been explained already in canon, because the young avengers comics do not exist in France, so the only runs I was able to read were the first, the children crusade, and the volume 2. I'm really sorry if that bothers you, I just hope that you'll bear with me on this one :/
> 
> Now, I wanted to thank you all who left kudos and comments on this fic. I still have a hard time writing it because of all the angst and the fear of writing something so shitty it'll make all of you want to hunt me down and send my sorry ass to fanfic hell where it belongs (^^"). So yeah, thanks for reading my work and leaving kind comments. It makes me feel like I'm finally doing something good for once =). And to those of you who only leave kudos, be it because you're too shy to comment, or you didn't feel like it was worth commenting, or that you didn't want to lose any more time on my writing but gave me a little heart for effort, I want you to know that my heart swells every time you leave one of those little hearts <3 (that's a lot of hearts in one sentence, sorry )
> 
> I'll say it again, a big big big thank you to Laura, my beta reader. Sometimes I just feel like I don't deserve her and her amazing work, and yet she stays, and she's encouraging, and just plain awesome. So thank you <3 <3.
> 
> One more time, TRIGGER WARNING!!!! Please see the end notes for precision.
> 
> Feel free to comment if you think I've forgotten anything. Take care, and hope you'll like this chapter =)
> 
> You can also come say hi on tumblr, I've got the same username (I don't know how to add a link here, sorry ^^'')

The news were not good. Despite having told Kate he did not want to watch them, the young woman kept turning the T.V on every morning. And what William was seeing was enough to make him want to vomit. A couple of mutants had been assaulted the night before as they were coming back from a movie. If the young woman had survived, though she was now in a very bad state, her boyfriend had died on his way to the hospital. And yet, the journalist was just qualifying it as "an unfortunate accident".

"An accident? This is a fucking hate crime!" William whispered in horror. Kate put a hand on his shoulder to silence him as a picture of the Scarlet Witch appeared on the screen, juxtaposed with the picture of a man the both of the roommates knew very well. There were not a lot of criminals that left an imprint of people nowadays, very little of them managed to live up to Ultron, or Doctor Doom for example. But Pest was one of the new bad guys that had deeply traumatized everyone. Pest was a mutant whose power allowed him to generate illnesses of any kind, and he had used it on several occasions to gain control over New York. One of his most disgusting act was to create a deadly case of ebola in a middle school. Needless to say that none of the people present had survived. It was also after that particular accident that the Kaplans had left New York. It was also what had motivated William to join Fury's newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. They had taken down Pest the week after.

But now, the mutant had posted a video about his power and memory loss.

So of course, the Scarlet Witch was the first suspect. Basing themselves on the fact that she had wiped out most of the mutant race by saying a few words, the journalists were going crazy over this video which was apparently going viral.

"Wanda Maximoff is known for having erased the powers of millions of mutants. It would not be a surprise if she was acting as a vigilante, robbing super criminals of their powers and wiping their memories to protect herself. But that kind of action is illegal, we have our police forces to take on those criminals. Doing what Ms Maximoff seems to be doing is making her a criminal as well. Powers are not allowed in public, or to fight against criminals. We do not want superheroes to come back. We do not want another Demise Day. Because, let's face it. Criminals may be dangerous, but those so called superheroes were even worse. By standing up to their evil counterparts, they caused even more mayhem. Robert Cassidy, the Governor for the State of New York, talked about the Scarlet Witch menace this morning. Here's what he had to say on the matter..."

The screen went black, and William whipped his head towards Kate, who had the remote in her hand. She looked at the young man with a very displeased face.

"Prepare yourself. You're going to have to answer to a lot of questions." The archer stated. "Everyone knows that you're her reincarnated son. And I suspect more of the people you have arrested are going to talk now." She added grimly. Kate grabbed her phone and started texting. William had leaped to his feet, suddenly not very keen on going to work.

"What are you doing?" He asked Kate as he fixed his tie, but the young woman finished typing her message before replying.

"Warning Tommy as well. The next thing we need is him giving you away."

That made the mage's insides turn sour. He felt rage rise inside him at that statement. It was only after feeling electricity light up on his skin that he realized just how much he was furious.

"He hates me but he wouldn't do that Kate." He hissed, clenching his jaw as she looked up to him. Her displeased expression remained as lightning arched between her best friend's fingers. "I forbid you to say something like that. Have you thought of how heartbroken he would be if he knew what you, of all people, are implying? I made the mistake of not trusting once, and I lost him. I'm not doing it again." William warned the young woman. If Kate seemed to soften slightly, she kept silent. She only stared at him until he stopped throwing sparks everywhere.

"Can't blame me for being cautious." She pointed out. But the look the mage gave her was enough to silence her. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. But we need to stick together Kate. I can't do this. I can't start to worry about Tommy blabbing. I need to trust people around me, or I'll go crazy. We all know what can happen if a reality warper goes crazy." William grumbled. As much as he hated that craziness was part of his lineage, he was still the Scarlet Witch's soul son, and everyone knew what tended to happen when a reality warper lost it. But no matter how happy and proud he was of being her reincarnated son, his relationship with Wanda was strained. It had been like this ever since he had wiped Tommy's powers. Turns out, repeating your parents' mistakes was a real thing, he thought bitterly. He would have preferred repeating his biological parents' mistakes. Marrying early did not seem so bad after all. Then a shiver ran down his spine when he realized it had almost happened, but he refused to go there. It was too painful. Kate was eyeing him with compassion. She looked shaken, possibly afraid. He could not tell.

"You wouldn't go crazy like that." She stated, but the young man could hear in that she was reassuring herself. "You wouldn't rewrite reality completely. Nor would you wipe an entire community."

"Right. Not in one go anyway." William retorted with irony. "I prefer doing it one mutant at a time." He pointed out and she blanched, realizing her mistake. "Are we done?" The mage asked, but his question was more rhetorical than anything. So his best friend nodded. They did not say one word to one another again this morning.

***

Teddy was eyeing the material of the costume he was wearing. It felt so light, he had to double check all the time to make sure he was not naked. Light, but bulletproof, and unable to tear. Well that was what Tony had said. The suit was black, textured on the sides (It was for the movement fluidity according to Tony, which has caused Teddy to laugh, saying he sounded like Edna Mode. But he had given up when Tony had asked who it was) and the seams were purple. Not the same shade of purple as his old costume, but darker and more metal like. The young man had been pleasantly surprised when he had seen that the former Avenger had kept the v-shape he had on his chest to put it on his new costume. He had also added a pair of fingerless gloves that seemed thicker at knuckle-level. ("To protect them. I know you heal fast, but if we can prevent some broken bones, it's always good.") And of course, the combat boots Teddy was wearing now were specially designated to shift along with him and a small button on the ankle made sure the laces stayed tight all the time. This time, Tony had laughed when he had made a 'Back to the future' joke. The shape shifter touched the high collar of the costume absent-mindedly.

"I get that you like it?" Tony asked, arms crossed over his black sweater.

"Are you kidding? This is like... The best costume I ever had." Teddy replied, turning his face to the older man, who nodded. "I hope it was not to much work though." He said with worry. "I know you don't have the right to design things like that." But the smirk Tony gave him made him raise his eyebrows.

"I'm not allowed to make that kind of stuff for myself. That's what they told me when they came to seize... Well, everything. I'm obeying, as you can see. I'm not building anything for myself." He stated mischievously. "So technically, I'm not doing anything illegal." Teddy could not believe his ears, and he cringed.

"You do realize it's not going to make any difference if we get caught, right?" He asked in a small voice, which made Tony shrug carelessly.

"We all know what we risk." The older man replied flatly. "So yeah. It's worth it. Don't worry." He looked at the young man and patted his back. "Okay. Go change. I have an interview today. They want me to tell them everything I know about Wanda's whereabouts."

Teddy stopped dead on his way to the small bench in Stark's laboratory. He slowly turned around, his mind slowly turning into a hurricane of thoughts. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. And again, his first thought was to Billy. Billy and his connection to Wanda.

"Why?" He asked, his throat narrow. "Why do they want to know about her whereabouts?" The shape shifter inquired, defensive as he removed his gloves. Tony frowned and rubbed his goatee.

"You may want to sit down." He proposed, only starting to tell Teddy about Pest's video once he was sure he was ready to take it. The former Avenger saw the young man turn paler and paler. When Tony went on about the medias' suspecting Wanda of taking down criminals, Teddy lost it, and panicked.

"How much time do we have before they realize it's Billy and not her?" He croaked, fear stabbing his gut harshly.

"They might never realize it. Remember that Wanda is at the top of their list. They're using this as an excuse to finally get her, and put her where they put Bruce, Xavier, Grey and so many others. I'm still trying to figure out where they are. They hid them well." The older man groaned. "It's been eight years, and I still have no clue. It's driving me crazy." He added, mostly to himself. But Teddy was not listening anymore. His talk with Natasha about the government trying to corner their little vigilantes group coming back to him, and a terrible doubt started forming in his mind.

"Do you think there could be someone giving out informations about us?" He asked, a certain agent in mind. The young man knew it was probably just jealousy, but after Kate and the tissue incident, he could not shake the feeling that something was not right about Jackson Casey. But Tony shattered his thoughts as soon as they formed in his head.

"Fury only recruited people he knew he could trust. Besides, if there was a spy in our ranks, we wouldn't still be around."

Teddy hoped with all his heart Tony was right. Otherwise, they were ahead of a lot of trouble.

***

"Of course, that would help a lot if Kaplan actually told us where Wanda is."

The newly formed Avengers were in a middle of a really heated meeting. Once again, Fury was harassing William who was rubbing his temples, his face scrunched, galaxies swirling slowly on his costume. Storm rolled her eyes, her hair perfectly styled into a mowhawk and her arms crossed over her black sleeveless suit, hiding the silver X decorating her chest. The two Hawkeyes were sitting next to one another, Clint in his black and purple costume, and Kate with the new version of her old uniform, showing less skin than before, the only thing uncovered was her right arm, and even there, an archery glove was covering it from the elbow to her fingers. Her purple were sunglasses sitting on the top of her head, pushing her long black hair out of her face. Johnny was not paying much attention, lighting one of his fingers after the other, then blowing them out. Steve was protesting, his grey and black uniform so different than the stars and stripes one he used to wear as Natasha tried to temper everything, clad in her signature black catsuit. Teddy was keeping silent, watching the mage with concern. It was still awkward being in the same room as him, but they seemed to have fallen into tolerating silence now. And if that made him sad, it was far better than the burning hate his former boyfriend had thrown his way when he had returned. Of course, the feelings the shape shifter was experiencing were still possibly caused by a spell, and although it bothered Teddy, there were more important things to think of at the moment. They were going to head out in a few minutes, splitting in two groups to track down a bunch of newly enhanced people, but for the moment, they needed to discuss the mess caused by Pest and his video.

"I told you that I don't know where she is." William protested, his two golden rings in his lobe catching the light as he turned his face towards the one eyed man. "In what language do I need to repeat? I only spoke to an astral projection of Wanda in the past eight years." The young man looked weary, but resigned. "Besides, I don't see why it's important. As much as I hate this, they already jumped to the conclusion it was her. We'll start worrying the day they remember I can bend reality too."

"But what do we do when that happens?" Teddy asked wit concern, turning bright red when WIlliam whipped his head towards him, squinting. "What? We need to be prepared, just in case." The shape shifter grumbled defensively. To his surprise, the mage rolled his eyes with a sigh. And answered.

"It's been decided that if we ever got caught, I'd surrender. Just me."

Kate's gasped and straightened on her seat, while Teddy started shaking his head repeating "no" increasingly louder. Nobody seemed surprised around the table and Kate started arguing harshly.

"You've decided to let him take the fall? Or was it you?" She hissed at Fury, who ignored her.

"We hate it as much as you do, Kate." Steve tried to calm the archer with a soft tone, but he was cut by Teddy.

"Clearly you don't hate it enough if you're ready to let Billy risk his life. He'll end in the death row if we get caught!" He roared furiously, getting up and slamming both his fists on the table. "I do not agree to that."

"Neither do I." Kate added, looking at all their faces, hate and disgust painting her features, stopping on her best friend who looked very displeased. "You can't let them do that!"

But the young man just sat there, clenching his jaw and breathing hard.

"It was my choice." He stated firmly. "I know what I risk, believe me. But there will be no use in getting caught together. I'll surrender so you can keep fighting if that happens."

"What's your problem?" Teddy shouted. "You have a fucking death wish or what?" He was too angry to care, and he could not believe what was coming out of his ex boyfriend's mouth. It scared him, the mere thought of losing him unbearable. He saw the other turn his unforgiving brown eyes on him.

"First, don't call me Billy." He growled in a threatening tone. "And second, mind your on business. I chose to take this responsibility. And after all, you should be happy about it. If I get caught, then I'll be sentenced to death. Which means my spell on you will be broken." The young man stated coldly.

And Teddy lost it, his skin turning bright red, then green.

"Oh my...Do you hear yourself? I would never wish for you to die, even if you have altered my brain or feelings in some way! You're crazy! I won't let you do that! Besides, it's not about me. Have you thought of your parents? Of your brothers? Because they're concerned! Not me. I heard you loud and clear when you asked me to stay away from you. But I won't allow that." The shape shifter was talking to the mage, but also Fury. He calmed down slightly when he saw the shaken expression that had cracked William's armor of indifference.

"It doesn't matter. We already decided to do it that way." The reality warper pointed out.

"You heard him." Fury added, looking at Kate and Teddy. "It's his decision. Now sit."

"Of course you'd agree with him on that." Kate spat. "Listen closely, asshole. Billy dies, so do you." She declared, and everyone went silent around the table, stricken with horror at the young woman's words.

"Did you just threaten to kill me, Miss Bishop?" Fury asked after a full minute of silence. But Kate did not back down.

"I warned you. Take it as you wish." But Fury let a smile blossom on his lips.

"We'll see about that." He declared. He then turned to the screen behind him, where to pictures appeared. "Kaplan, Romanov, Munroe and Barton, to the Queens. Bishop, Altman, Johnny and Rogers you'll take the one in Brooklyn. Be as discrete as you can, and bring them back here. We need more information about how they get this Super MGH cocktail. Go."

As Fury dismissed them, Teddy looked at William getting up before pulling his hood up on his head, and with a flick of his fingers and a thread of blue light, the starry high collar of his costume went to cover his mouth and nose, leaving only his eyes in the open. He wanted to say something, but the other young man exited the room before he could speak.

***

William did not usually engage in hand to hand combat when on the field. But he was feeling the need to hit something. He palm struck the enhanced in the nose in an upward motion, just as Natasha kicked him in the knee, making him lose balance and collapse. The man quickly got back on his feet, taking a swing at the mage who teleported a few feet backwards. A lightning tore through the air to strike the criminal square in the shoulder as Storm hovered in circles over them.

If They had had a choice, they would have preferred not to fight in the middle of a dark alley, but the blue sparks floating everywhere- a spell cast by Wiccan- were making sure they would not be bothered by any eye or ear witnesses. Clint shot an explosive arrow at the man, which latched at his shoulder before exploding. Black Widow barely had the time to jump away, but she simply shot a death stare at Hawkeye, who smirked. With a wave of his hands, Wiccan fired a concussive blast of energy who sent the man flying across the alley, knocking him unconscious when he collided with the wall. The blue light slowly faded, and Wiccan heard Black Widow chuckle.

"Well done. You almost single handled him." She congratulated the reality warper, as is collar receded to uncover his mouth. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"I needed something to hit." He shrugged. "Besides, you could never be on my bad side. That would mean being on yours."

"Always so pragmatic. Well, in certain cases." The older woman mumbled, as Ororo landed besides them.

"Which means?" The mage asked, pulling his hood back. It was a huge mistake.

"I know you! You're the Scarlet Witch's son! It's you who's been hunting us! Not her!" The enhanced man yelled, voice echoing across the alley, getting back to his feet difficultly. Natasha acted on pure instinct, as Wiccan just starred at the man, like a deer caught in the headlights. The trained assassin rose her arm and her bracelet went off with a little 'pfft' shooting a tranquilizer to the man. But that did not seem to phase him much, he rushed forward and shoved the red haired woman out of his way, who hit the nearby dumpster with a loud metallic noise, before he grabbed the reality warper by the shoulders. Eyes wild, an ugly sneer on his face, he started shouting insults and threats, trying to make as much noise as he could. The last spark of Wiccan's anti-witness spell faded, and suddenly, the silence was broken. The distant chatting of the rare people coming back home at this late hour and the traffic came rushing back to them. "It's Wiccan! Wiccan is hunting us!! Billy Kaplan!!" The criminal was shouting himself hoarse, under William's paralyzed stare. But the sense of impending danger seemed to struck some sense back inside the young mage's head.

"Stop this!" He commanded, croaking with fear, reaching up to grab onto the man's wrists. And with horror he felt himself lose control. He wanted the man out of his space, he wanted him to stop shouting. To disappear. With a flash of blue light, his costume expanded to cover his face, hiding his too recognizable features, and electricity arced out of his body, shooting all around him as William panicked, icy sweat spreading all over his back and face, impregnating the strange fabric of his uniform. Lightning struck the man several time, leaving a trail of smoke and the smell of burned flesh as he tried to get away. And with a final whoosh, the power of the whole block died around them.

Next thing he knew, he was on his knees, watching Natasha putting all of her energy in trying to revive their target. And he just knelt, trembling, barely registering that Clint was calling the headquarters, while Ororo was flying above the buildings, unleashing the full extent of her power to create a distraction, a real hurricane coming down on them.

A firm hand grabbed him by the arm.

"Get up! We need to move! Come on Will! Get up!"

"Is he dead? Did I kill him?"

His voice came out muffled, weak. He was a killer. He had killed a man because he had lost it. But it was self preservation, right? No. It was not. His anger and fear had caused him to act recklessly. And deep down he had wanted the man dead, so that he could not spread the word about them all. About him. He felt on the verge of breaking, but with another burst of energy, his brain shut everything out. And the young man fell unconscious.

The hard part for the others was to carry the two bodies out of the street where no one could see them, to the roof of the building were a quinjet had landed. Natasha instantly sat next to William's passed out body, while one of the S.H.I.E.L.D paramedic worked hard on stabilizing the enhanced, who flatlined twice before the doctor managed to save him. After putting him under mechanical ventilation the young woman removed her gloves and eyed the mage dreadfully. Clint was on the phone, arguing quietly with Fury as Ororo was pacing back and forth at the back of the cabin, eyes fully white as she slowly eased the hurricane she had created away. Finally, after five minutes of no communication whatsoever, the doctor let out an angry snort.

"Do you know how hard it is to keep up with this bastard's stunts? Each time he's on the field, there are casualties! And who has to endure Fury's temper?"

"He has to." Natasha cut her off. "He's been the center of this operation since we started. Which means he's been on the field all the time, doing stuff that he hates himself for while knowing there was no other choice. While you had to bear with the downfalls of Nick's anger, he was blamed all the time for every single mistake he made, and you dare complain about having to handle people that were injured during a fight while he was in the middle of it risking his life. You're what? Thirty two? Thirty three? He is twenty-six, and he had to put up with twice the shit you could even try to imagine. So I suggest you stay silent, and be grateful for the fact you managed to save this man. Like you're supposed to. It's your job as a doctor." The assassin's tone was dismissive, and so cold it frightened the other woman. So she shut her mouth and joined the pilot while Natasha turned her face back to William. William, who was awake and looking at her with tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but the russian woman shook her head. "Don't say anything. Rest. He is safe, don't worry."

"I lost control." The young man whispered, and tears escaped his brown eyes. "My thoughts..." He tensed when Black Widow put a finger to his lips, but he batted it away. "No please. I need to say it." He demanded, and with a pained expression, the redhead nodded. Wiccan swallowed thickly, and took a deep breath. "My thoughts are dangerous. It's been harder to control them lately, but I've been able to keep my powers at bay until now. But I'm losing it. I can feel it. So I need you to promise me..." But the older woman did not want to hear more, feeling fear and sorrow rise from her stomach to her throat. Unaware of her desire to run away from this, William kept on talking. "...I need you to promise me that if I ever lose it completely, and I mean losing it Scarlet Witch style, you'll terminate me. I know you can do it. You're the only one who will have the guts. I refuse to become such a menace. I'm dangerous, you need to have a plan in that case." He pleaded, but Natasha just sat there, her brain working at full speed. First, anger, she did not want to bear such a burden. She did not have the guts to kill a child like he suggested. Second, sadness, he was no more the young man from Manhattan who fanboyed over her or Captain America. The young man in front of her was broken, a mere shadow of himself, no matter how hard he tried to maintain his head out of the water, he had been drowning for years now. And finally resolve. She took a deep breath, and already regretting her gesture, knowing it was surely not the best thing to do, she rose her hand and slapped him hard, wincing and failing to prevent the tears from falling.

"Never ask that kind of things again." She growled, wiping her eyes in a quick motion. "You're only saying that because Teddy's back. And I know it's adding to the already high pile of shit you're swimming in, but Billy, we're all here for you! Talk to us! Let us help you, for fuck's sake! What? You thought you were just a weapon for us? Just a mean we found to make sure we would be able to keep criminals at bay? Is that how we made you feel? Tell me! Because the mere thought of it is unbearable. I refuse to leave this jet until we've sorted this out. Did we, in some way or another, cause you to think we couldn't care less about what happens to you as long as you do your job properly?"

The older woman kept her eyes locked with his, and William had to close them. She was right. What was the point in pretending? Teddy had been the trigger. Teddy was always the trigger, he realized. Each and every of the choices he had made, of the actions he had taken was his personal way of punishing himself for driving the love of his life away, while pretending he was trying to atone for his errors. God help him. He loved Teddy. And Teddy, if his reaction during the meeting was any real indicator, still cared about him. But those feelings were not real. They were, once again, a spell cast by the living plague that was Billy Kaplan. He had not created him, Stephen had been categorical about this. You could try and imitate life, but not create it, no matter powerful of a mystic, or sorcerer you were. But feelings were another story. And Wiccan's magic affected the very fabric of reality. Once he cast a spell, it was permanent, reality rewritten to fit his whim, his needs, without leaving any traces of change. It was as if it had always been like that. As if nothing had changed. There was no proof Teddy had never loved him, just like there was no proof Tommy's DNA ever bore the mutant gene now. With a cry of agony, the young man sat up and grabbed two fistful of his hair, curling up on himself, and starting to wail, guttural, making everyone jump in the quinjet.

"NO! NO! I CAN'T... I CAN'T!!"

With a desperate face, and crying as hard as the mage was, Natasha wrapped him in a tight embrace, and started rocking him.

***

The sound of Johnny's voice yelling sent shivers down Kate's spine. They had caught their enhanced in less time than she would have thought, and clearly it had not been long since the man had received his Super MGH cocktail. He could barely control his strength and it had caused him to make several calculation mistakes. But when they got back to the HQ, Fury was waiting for The Torch with none other than Susan Storm, The Invisible Woman. The woman looked bad. Drained. She had dark circles under her eyes, and a bruise was spreading on the side of her face. From what the archer had gathered, she had been assaulted a few days ago. And Johnny and her were not speaking to each other anymore. After an initial outburst from The Torch, Nick had guided them inside his office, a concerned look on his face. They were now sitting in the hallway, Teddy grimacing and Steve rubbing his face while the young woman was counting and recounting her arrows.

"She used to work with us you know." The super soldier confessed. "She quit a month after starting. She had not told Reed about our organization, and he was starting to get suspicious. Johnny did not take it very well. I guess he never liked to be forced back to being a civilian. Seeing his sister give up was the last straw."

"That explain how she found the HQ." Teddy mumbled.

"Speaking of which, how did you find it?" Kate asked her former team mate.

"I woke up here after they drugged me. Guess it canceled Billy's spell. How did you?" The young man asked back.

"Billy broke the enchantment for me." She shrugged.

"But his spells are ever lasting..." Teddy mumbled.

"Magic is complicated." Steve intervened. "He did not simply warp reality this time. He used a ritual, herbs, candles and what not. A full week of spell casting to make sure nobody noticed the building was being used by the S.H.I.E.L.D. It's not just a simple 'I wish' thing. I still don't get how that works though."

"Chaos Magic." Teddy muttered. "Just like Wanda."

But his thoughts were interrupted By Natasha coming by them, looking shaken. She looked at Steve and shook her head slightly.

"Billy lost it. Nora has him under sedation for now. He's in really bad shape. We need to call Stephen and make him come as soon as possible."

"What happened?" Kate leaped to her feet, just as Teddy grabbed the older woman's arm.

"I want to see him." He demanded, but the cold glare Black Widow cast upon his hand was enough to make him take a step back.

"No offense Ted, but you're probably the last person he needs to see right now. Trust me, it won't do any good." The red haired woman stated, squeezing the shape shifter's arm. "I think we need to call the Kaplans. Their son really needs them. He's been lonely for too long, and we're not enough for him. He needs his family. We made a huge mistake when we decided to not meddle with his private life. And we're going to pay it."

Kate was pale as a ghost. She reached out and taped the older woman's shoulder to get her attention.

"What happened?" She asked again, as tears streamed down her face. "Tell me. I swore to protect him. I need to know." Her voice was rough, barely audible. Natasha sighed heavily and plopped down on a seat, chasing a red curl out of her face.

"Billy almost killed a man tonight. He went haywire. And trust me, that time in the computer room was nothing." She started. "I think his mind is giving out. He can't bear the consequences of what he's done in the past eight years. And the last six months have been taking a bigger toll on him, it seems." Natasha rubbed her forehead, looking worn out for the first time of her life. "I can't help but feel like we've failed him. We've never shown support. Or not in the right way. And Teddy coming back has been the last straw."

"Everything is my fault then." The young man growled.

"No, it's ours. We've let him sink instead of pulling him up. He's so full of guilt, and you're the first reason this guilt has been eating away at him. That's why you can't go see him. Who knows what could happen if he saw you when he wakes up?" The assassin replied. "I think it would be best for him if you laid low for a while."

"I never wanted him to suffer like this." Teddy whispered. "I should never have listened to Loki." He stated, before turning around and punching the wall with a furious growl. Kate jumped away, letting out a small gasp. Steve on the other hand, lunged forward and grabbed the shape shifter before immobilizing him.

"Easy. Easy." He whispered in Teddy's ear, trying to calm him down. "One break down at a time, son."

Teddy looked miserable, his blue eyes glistening. The super soldier pulled him in a tight hug.

"Nobody blames you. We all understand it has been hard for you to learn Billy had bewitched you to fall in love with him, be it unconscious."

"But there's no proof of that." Teddy argued weakly. "All I know is that... I'm not myself when it comes to Billy." He whispered, admitting this for the first time. "I lo... I care deeply for him, but I don't know if these feelings are valid. Because of what Loki dropped on me. I've been putting him through hell, leaving him twice and calling him a coward. I want to be free of this spell, and at the same time I don't. Is it ever going to stop? Or am I going to destroy him and myself along the way? I wish I could be sure." He rambled, defeated, hating himself, fisting the front of Captain America's uniform in a desperate attempt to anchor himself.

"Stephen said it was possible." Kate whispered, turning slightly red when Teddy turned his face to look at her. "The spell. I know, Billy used to tell me about his training. After they discovered the real mechanics of his powers, he decided to ask Stephen about you. He never told me the answer, and we never spoke of his training again. I guess what the Doctor said that day was unbearable. And Billy's been practicing exorcisms and counter spells ever since. But Chaos Magic... It's nasty. It takes more than it gives. Just look at Wanda. And now Billy." The young woman's voice broke and she wiped her eyes. "You were both victims. Of himself."

"The real mechanics?" Teddy asked, confused as he buried his face in Steve's chest, knots forming in his stomach. He did not want to hear the answer. But he had to know. The archer looked reluctant, but she decided to speak anyway. Better the devil you know, she thought with regret.

"Remember that I only know what Billy accepted to tell me. I'm no mystic, so I don't know if I'll be clear." Kate started, apologetic. "You already know that his spells are ever lasting. He told you this the other day. It's because his 'I want' spells are Chaos Magic. And even if he knew somehow, he learnt that an intent is enough to trigger a spell. Chaos Magic users rarely need words. I guess it was some form of instinct, a way for him to muzzle the true extent of his power that he chose to use his voice instead of his mind to cast spells. Or maybe a way to deny the fact that it worked without him opening his mouth. The thing is, his magic is different than Wanda in the way that if she use Chaos Magic, she will increase the probability of something actually happening. Billy makes it happen, full stop. Even the most impossible of things. And once his 'wished reality' becomes real, it stays real. Wanda on the other hand, just has to decrease a probability, thus canceling her spell. If he put a spell on you, it will remain like this. I'm sorry."

"That makes no sense!" Teddy shouted, pushing Steve away. "Why can't he wish for another reality where everything is back to normal then!" He protested. "That's not logical."

"And that is where you show your ignorance, Theodore." A gravely voice echoed in the hallway. Stephen Strange was walking slowly towards them, the Cloak of Levitation trailing behind him. His long and slim fingers were caressing the Eye of Agamotto. "Magic is a strange force. And to put it in your words, it makes no sense. It does not obey to any form of logic than its own. And Chaos Magic is even worse. It is almost alive. Think of it as a temperamental child. It has absolutely no logic as opposed to regular magic which has its own. It appears differently to each people who receive the gift to manipulate it. Each time new mechanics, and new rules that one needs to understand before starting to even consider wielding it. William's wishes become true, creating a new reality that erases the previous one forever, that's why he can't wish something back to normal. The previous reality does not exist anymore. Which is why we will never know if your attraction was genuine." The Sorcerer Supreme declared flatly. Teddy's eyes were full of horror at that statement. But the Doctor ignored him. "I have been keeping tracks of his doing for the past six months. And I must say that you have all been a bunch of fools. You have met Wanda. You should have recognized the signs and stopped this idiocy before it was too late."

The man's grey eyes were hard and unforgiving as he laid them on Steve and Natasha. They both stood facing him.

"Chaos Magic is only similar to regular magic in the fact that they both have a price. If Chaos Magic works differently for each wielder, the price, however, is the same. Does it become clearer in your foolish brains?" He admonished, and it was Kate who came to the horrible conclusion.

"Sanity." She breathed out. "It's taking away Billy's sanity." The young woman staggered backwards until the back of her knees met one of the seats behind them. She plopped down on it heavily, turning alarmingly pale. "I'm gonna be sick." She gurgled, doubling over. She did not vomit, but icy sweat broke all over her skin. Teddy saw red. He shifted, big and green and grabbed Strange by the collar of his cape before slamming him into the wall.

"Why didn't you warn him, you piece of shit!" He shouted. "Why didn't you try and prevent that from happening? You trained him! He trusted you!"

"I warned William. I never hid anything from him about Chaos Magic. What happened next was his choice. He spent almost eight years without touching that aspect of his powers. But six months ago, they convinced him to fall back." Strange stated, and Teddy let go, shock slowly painting his features.

"We never forced him to do anything!" Natasha shouted. But Stephen was having none of it.

"You are being delusional. The plan against Pest was to let William bind his powers for good. But you don't know anything about magic. And you never learn. You fought alongside with me and Wanda for years, and you still are unaware of the fact that there are no binding spells strong enough to last a lifetime."

It all came rushing back to Teddy. With a pained noise he slapped his forehead.

_"I told you that we should just arrest them and leave them to the cops. That it would be less risky. But did you listen to me? No."_

_"It was my choice. I know what I risk, believe me. But there will be no use in getting caught together. I'll surrender so you can keep fighting if that happens."_

_"I chose to take this responsibility. And after all, you should be happy about it. If I get caught, then I'll be sentenced to death. Which means my spell on you will be broken."_

The mage had meant it was dangerous for himself. Not for the S.H.I.E.L.D. The young man started crying bitter tears over his own stupidity. So that was why he agreed to take the fall if they ever got caught. Better dead than crazy, right? And at the same time, dying would cancel all of his spells, including the one that held Teddy captive, if there was one.

"Chaos Magic is unforgiving. The spells one cast from its source are fickle. They work perfectly one day, and the next day their effect is twisted, full of unwanted surprises."

"What have we done?" Steve whispered, full of horror as Strange straightened his Cloak, his judgmental eyes still fixed on Natasha and him. The revelation hit them hard, and they all stayed motionless as they envisioned the catastrophe they had created.

***

_A light touch on his forehead. A small caress on his cheek. The covers pulled up over his body. The oh so familiar scent of this perfume by Kenzo. What was it called already? Oh yes. Flower._

William woke up with a pounding headache. And yet he felt good. He could not explain why. He tried to rise up from the bed he was lying on but a gentle hand prevented him from doing so.

"Lie back sweetheart. You're probably exhausted."

The young man's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head, his brown eyes filling with tears slowly. There she was, sitting with her legs crossed next to his bed, her eternal square framed glasses sitting on her nose. Rebecca Kaplan uncrossed her legs and moved to sit on the bed next to her son.

"I've missed you." She mumbled, pulling the mage in a tight hug. It felt so good, so relieving, the young man started sobbing. His mom was there. Nothing could go wrong now. "There, there, baby." She soothed him, rubbing his back tenderly. They stayed like this for a long while, the mother holding her son, making him feel like she was pulling him back together.

After the young managed to calm himself, he broke the hug and starred at his mother with concern and confusion.

"You can't be here Mom. It's too dangerous to be in New York. The criminals..."

"I couldn't care less about the criminals, Billy. Moving away was the worst thing your father and I did. So we're moving back." The woman stated severely. "Besides, you need your family with you. The Doctor STrange came to pick us up yesterday. He has told us..." But she choked and tried hard to not start crying. "You're my son. I can't bear the idea of something bad happening to you. And knowing I've been unaware of what you were doing with the S.H.I.E.L.D for the past six months is such a failure. I should have called." Rebecca mumbled in a broken tone. "I didn't think they would force you to use that magic. I wouldn't have allowed you to enroll if I did. I'm so sorry baby." SHe apologized, and William pulled her in a tight hug. He was not in the mood for correcting her over his name, nor was he in the mood to tell her he chose to use Chaos Magic. He knew she would be disappointed greatly. Looking back, he contemplated the huge mistake he had made. Now, who could tell how much time he had left before losing it for good?

The door of the room opened and the two of them broke the hug. William blanched slightly when he saw Jackson enter along with his dad and his younger brothers. He had completely forgotten the agent. With another wave of guilt, he forced a smile on his face, before being engulfed by three pair of arms. His father, Jeff, was hugging him tight enough to make his ribs crack. His youngest brother Ben was crying silently against his shoulder, sniffing from time to time and Josh, his other brother had his jaw clenched so hard it made the side of his face bulge out.

"Hum... I can't breathe..." The mage muttered, emotional and awkward. If his brothers pulled back, his father simply moved slightly away, his hands tight over the young man's upper arms.

"Why didn't you call us? We could have helped. Or something. We're your parents. It's our duty to protect you, son." He grumbled.

"I couldn't. What if the bad guys traced the call back to you? What if they found you because of me?" He whispered. "I had to protect you all."

"No. You're our kid. We protect you, not the other way around. I don't care that you're a super hero. We should have been there, and you denied us that chance. Never again." Jeff fumed. All William could do was nodding, looking down. But he could not help himself from smiling. He had missed his parents too much. Being scolded felt familiar and safe. He lifted his head when he heard someone clear their throat discreetly.

"Billy, who's this?" His mother whispered. "The nice lady doctor told us that only family could come in. I expected Tommy when she said it was us plus another person." The mage felt cold at the mention of his twin brother, and looked away. There were so much things his parents needed to know. So he looked at Jackson, who was standing stiffly besides the door.

"Meet my boyfriend?" He attempted, and seeing the flabbergasted expression that came across his parents' faces he attempted a weak smile. Jackson blushed heavily when Jeff and Rebecca looked at him, but William's parents kept silent.

"But... I thought... Wasn't Ted..." Rebecca muttered, but the quick 'shush' Jeff let out silenced her. "Oh well. Pleased to meet you, hm..."

"Jackson." The young man said, as red as a tomato. But William's heart was hammering in his chest.

"Wait, you saw Teddy?" He asked, his voice trembling. What were his parents going to think now?

"We just spotted him in the hallways when we arrived." Jeff replied in a reassuring tone. "It's okay. I expected you two to still be on bad terms."

"Understatement of the year..." William sighed. "Look, can we not mention him or anything? I don't want to even think about him right now."

"But, is he okay? I mean, we haven't seen him for eight years..." Rebecca tried to protest, but her husband grabbed her hand, shaking his head. "Oh, fine." She groaned. She then shot a cold glare at Jackson. "Better not break my son's heart, understood?" The woman threatened. William turned his head, dying from embarrassment as his father rolled his eyes. Josh and Ben were stealing glances at Jackson, clearly hostile to the young man who did not seem to notice. Or if he did, he did not show anything.

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied softly, attempting a soft smile. But the little gathering did not last any longer. Stephen Strange came in and looked at them all.

"I hate to interrupt, but I need a moment alone with William, if you do not mind." He asked, his grey eyes stopping for a brief moment on Jackson before focusing back on his former pupil. Rebecca looked at her son, who squeezed her and, signaling he was fine with it. With a hint of fear, the young man locked eyes with is former master, who was waiting quietly for everyone to exit the room. When the door closed behind Jackson, Stephen made a complicated gesture with his hands, and William recognized a concealing spell. He waited dreadfully as the Sorcerer Supreme removed his Cloak to drape it over the armchair next to William's bed. The older man sat down, his elbows rested over the arms of the chair. His long and delicate fingers formed an upward V as his grey eyes scanned his ex apprentice's face.

"I'm going to be forward with you, William." The Doctor started, his voice soft. "You have exhausted your resources." He stated gravely. "Chaos Magic has already started taking its toll on you. Do you know how long you've been sleeping?" He asked.

"No, I didn't even wonder." William replied, trying to keep an even voice. But his insides were already turning colder and colder. _That's it,_ he thought. _I'm finished._

"Five days. Your brain shut out for five days after they sedated you. I conducted some tests when you were out, and the news are not good. That is why your parents are here. I told them the diagnosis and they insisted to come back here. Do you understand?"

"I'm going crazy, right? That's it, I'm losing my mind." The young mage whispered, eyes starting to well up in tears when he saw Stephen nod.

"You knew the price." The Sorcerer Supreme declared sadly. "I warned you. I am so sorry." His eyes were shining faintly, but no tear ever came out. "You're an admirable young man. Choosing to use this kind of magic, even if you knew the price for it... You gave up your sanity for the greater good. That is what a real mystic does. What a real super hero does." The older man whispered. "I will make sure your sacrifice is remembered. I'm proud of having been your teacher."

A choked sob escaped William's throat. He was far from heroic. And even less far from being a good magic user. But he did not manage to say it out loud.

"How much time do I have?" He uttered, wiping his cheeks, damp with tears. Stephen cleared his throat and put a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"A few weeks. A month maybe."

The sentence hit William hard, falling over him like a ton of brick. His hands turned to fists as bitter tears poured out of his eyes.

"I... Is there anything..." He attempted, unable to look up at his mentor, knowing perfectly the answer to that question.

"I am sorry." Stephen denied, before pulling the young man in a tight embrace, letting him cry silently over his shoulder, the only thing he could now for the broken soul that William Kaplan had become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!
> 
> So as I explained in the beginning notes, I had to add my own touch on a certain aspect of Billy's magic, more precisely, Chaos Magic. In my story, the price for using Chaos Magic is a gradual loss of sanity once you've reached a certain point. I want to precize that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact Billy is canonically depressed, nor is it a way for me to erase this fact as in Billy-is-depressed-because-of-chaos-magic. It is just harder to detect when magic is taking its toll on him, and the same goes with Wanda. Their depression is not caused by magic, but it affects it greatly. This issue will be adressed in the next chapter.
> 
> I think that's all for now, but if something else bothers you, please let me know so I can tag it, and add it in the notes. Thank you very much =)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will begin this note by apologizing. I didn't think it was possible to feel sick at the stomach after writing something, and yet here I am.
> 
> !!!TRIGGER WARNING!!!! Read this paragraph consciously. In this chapter, you'll find pretty graphic descriptions of torture and gore. If you want to skip the scene it starts at "Billy was sitting in a large room, alone in front of the Avengers, the x-men and the Young Avengers." and ends at "Billy howled in pain before the flames entered his mouth, and his mind went black."  
> Billy slowly slips into insanity in this chapter, so if you get triggered by that, I'm sorry but you might want to avoid reading it. Safety first. Also, in the end of the chapter, it is mentionned that Billy wishes he was dead.
> 
> I sincerely want to apologize for what happens in this chapter, especially in the end, and I hope you won't hate me too much.
> 
> Hoping you would 'enjoy' this chapter is foolish, since it's not going to be enjoyable at all. I'm warning you once again, this chapter is a big ball of pain so read it only if you can stand it. God knows I had trouble writing it.
> 
> I'll close the notes by thanking Laura, my beta who did an amazing job once more, especially with this chapter which is quite long. She deserves all of the kudos you're leaving =)
> 
> A big thanks to you all who keep reading and commenting, it truly warms my heart all every time <3
> 
> You can come say hi on tumblr, I have the same username (I gotta learn how to put a link on here --')
> 
> I guess I said everything I needed to say. So there you go, chapter 6.

Manhattan. Blood keeps pouring out of the bullet wound and he cries, knowing he is lost.

Manhattan. A blue light erupts where the Avengers tower used to stand. The air shatters like a mirror, and, one by one, the shards fall to the ground, exploding in a firework of sapphire sparks that plummet to the ground like an eerie snow. As the shards fall, a circular building comes into view. Cameras start flashing from the people passing by, once they recover from the snow of light that suddenly fell down on them.

Manhattan. As the air shatters, an alarm starts ringing throughout the circular building. The agents present there sit in the computer room, in shock, as the cloaking spell vanishes completely, leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D out in the open. Fury storms out of his office, pale as a ghost as he glances out the window, the blue light reflected in his only eye, and for the first time in an eternity, he is afraid.

The Bronx. Several explosions echo through the air. Metal starts melting everywhere as figures start roaming the streets, cheering and shouting, bringing chaos in the borough. They break the shopwindows and destroy the cars, sending them up in the air without touching them, punching through them, lighting them up in flames. Slurs and death threats against Wiccan and the Avengers are written in bold letters across the building façades. An entire building dies of the plague followed by a sinister laugh in the night.

The Queens. A sudden burst of pain wakes Tommy Shepherd from his slumber. His head is on fire, and so are his legs. with a loud groan, he rolls over and falls from his bed, naked, as the pain increases so much he is forced to curl up on himself, his mind on the verge of breaking. Tears do not stop from pouring out of his eyes as his muscles vibrate eight years of alcohol and nicotine out of his body. His legs are shaking uncontrollably when he finally loses consciousness.

The Queens. The doorbell rings. The first vibrations have barely reached Tommy's ears that he is already standing in front of the door, his stomach twisting dangerously as he doubles over from the sudden wave of nausea caused by speed that suddenly courses through him. It is only then that the sound of the doorbell finally stops, barely a buzz to the young man's ear. He stays there, confused, and jumps when the person behind the door starts banging. He grabs a blanket on the couch, secures it around his hips and opens the door.

The Queens. Kate Bishop is standing in front of Tommy. She is beautiful. She looks up at him, so small facing his six feet and one inch. And she is crying. Heavy tears are rolling down her cheeks, and her grey-blue eyes are shining like gemstones. "Tommy..." She sobs. "Something terrible happened." and then she rushes into his arms, ignoring the sweat that covers the body of the young man. It is something he has been wanting for years, and it feels good. But dread settles in the pit of his stomach as he wraps his arms around her.

  


*****NEW YORK, ONE MONTH AGO*****

William was taking in the view of his new room. The walls were entirely black, with just a huge screen on the wall he was facing that was displaying the date and time. He dropped his bags on the floor, keeping silent.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Kate said behind him and the young man turned around to face his best friend, a sad little smile painted on his lips.

"You heard Stephen. Before long, I'll start hallucinating, lose control over my powers, and if I hemorrhage magic, one simple thought can be very dangerous. So I need to be around people that can actually keep me at bay. And moving in here will prevent me from hurting you, or my parents." He replied, and he saw the tears swelling inside Kate's eyes. "Oh, Katie..." He muttered, pulling her in a tight hug.

"I just... I feel like there's so much more we could have done. If only you've talked to me..." The young woman muttered, trying to keep an even voice.

"I made the wrong call. Like I always do. It shouldn't be a surprise. I'm the champion when it comes to fucking up." William tried to joke, but he saw it did not work when Kate took a step back with a horrified expression. "You know, I still wish... I mean, I would have prefered to have a little more time. I didn't think taking away so many powers would cost this much. I have done worse in the past. And Wanda? She almost wiped all of the mutant race out without suffering."

"That was because she was using the Life Force back then." A gravely voice declared, making the two friends jump. William turned his head towards Stephen Strange and Jackson Casey who entered the room. Stephen's grey eyes lingered on the agent for a few seconds before they settled back on his former apprentice. "The Life Force is Divine by essence. Wanda's magic was greatly enhanced when she was wielding this particular form of magic. So she did not suffer much, and she did not have time to pay the price as Doom stole it from her. I guess he is the one suffering from the consequences now. Victor has a fragile mind, just like you and Wanda. Even more than you both, considering he is completely mad. And now that he has Wanda's magic..."

"He is probably catatonic somewhere." William concluded, and knew he was right when the Doctor's eyes twinkled.

"Exactly. When Wanda was granted the ability to wield the Life Force, her resistance was heightened so she could withstand the cost of the most crazy of spells. Doom did not have this chance since he stole it from your soul mother."

"So that means he was the only one who could actually repower the mutants." William sighed. "Now we just have to wait until he dies."

"Or remove the Life Force from him and send it back to where it came from." Stephen replied, which made Kate, William and Jackson frown. So the Sorcerer Supreme motioned to the chairs, and they all sat down. "It is impossible to remove a Mage's powers. It is a part of them, like the color of their eyes, or the fact that they are left or right handed. I mean, with Classical Magic of course. With Chaos Magic, though, you can change everything. So let us imagine that a Chaos Magic user removed Doom's powers, like you did these past six months, William. Then, all the mutants would regain their personal powers. But since you cannot do it and that I do not trust any other mage for this, I plan on using Classical Magic to give Wanda's her powers back. Like that, she can put an end to that. That would at least right one wrong."

"That sounds rather dangerous." Kate commented. She blushed when the Doctor turned his face towards her.

"It is. But it is the only way. Well, we can still hope for a sudden reboot of magic, but I do not think it is coming any time soon." The older man declared.

"I don't understand why you're telling us that." William mumbled, feeling a bit confused. Stephen rubbed his goatee and this time, a smile appeared on his lips.

"I figured some good news would be welcome. Even if I would have prefered to say I was wrong about my diagnosis." The Sorcerer Supreme replied regretfully. But William smiled and shook his head.

"No, you're right. I'm happy you found a solution for the mutant genocide problem." The younger mage said. Stephen nodded and then looked at Kate.

"I think we should leave some intimacy to William and Jackson. Come with me, Katherine. I would like to speak Nick Fury, if you don't mind to accompany me." Kate was a bit surprised, but she agreed, suspicion rising inside her. But she showed nothing and followed Stephen on his way out. Once the door slid shut, Jackson smiled at William.

"Hey." He said softly, grabbing the mage's hand. "How are you feeling? And don't give me the 'I'm fine' talk. You just agreed to be put in a cell." The agent said, squeezing the other's hand gently.

"I'm... Well. I feel like shit. In a few weeks, I'll basically be a mindless magic machine. But I try to not think too much bout it." Jackson put his hand on William's cheek softly.

"Are you sure it's unavoidable?" The agent asked the mage, looking sad all of the sudden. William kissed the palm of his hand.

"Yes. Unless I lose my magic, as Stephen said earlier, wich I doubt will happen." He replied. "I'll have to pay the price."

"Why is it that everytime I meet a guy I like, something gets in the way?" Jackson asked, faking regrets, but deep down, his mind was working at full speed. That statement made William blush. "I mean, I thought we would have had more dates than the last one."

"I loved it, by the way." William said, wanting to lift the other's spirits. "I mean, it was very nice. I wish we could do it again as well." He watched Jackson wet his lips and inched closer. Jackson met him halfway, and they kissed, softly. They kept kissing for a few seconds, hands trailing up and down each other's arms slowly, before they broke apart. William let out a small chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?" Jackson asked with a smile. William rubbed his face, still chuckling. His eyes were closed, and even though he looked worn out, his smile was shining bright.

"I really needed that. The kiss. It felt good." The young man replied. Jackson laughed at that and pulled the mage close again.

"Okay, then. Time for your medicine, Kaplan!"

As the agent started kissing William again, a plan started to form in his head. According to Stephen Strange, there was only three ways of countering William's magic. His death, removing his powers, or a reboot of magic. He fought the urge to smirk as he kept these pieces of information in a corner of his mind.

Still kissing, the pair slowly moved towards the bed, where they collapsed together.

***

Kate exited the room right behind the Sorcerer Supreme. Studying the back of the Doctor's head, she clenched her jaw. She deeply respected the man, and yet hated him for not showing up sooner to help Billy. As the door slid shut behind them, Stephen started mumbling and making gestures with his hands. It was only after seeing mandalas made of golden and blue light that the young woman realized he was casting a spell. She did not get the time to grab for her bow that the hallway went completely still, everything looked suddenly dull and the sounds were muffled. Stephen turned around and cocked an eyebrow when he saw how close Kate's hand was from her weapon.

"Did you think I was going to hurt you?" The Sorcerer asked, unimpressed. Kate did not lower her hand and kept her eyes locked with the older man's.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not very familiar with your methods. I'm not comfortable with you starting to use magic without warning. Can't blame me, right?" The young woman argued. Stephen simply nodded.

"I used a concealment spell so that no one can overhear us." The Doctor revealed, before looking at the door behind Kate. "Tell me, Miss Bishop. How well do you know the Agent Casey?"

The question took Kate by surprise. She turned her head to look at the door, and then looked at the older man.

"I don't know him very well. I've met him when he took Billy on a date, a few weeks ago. Why do you ask?"

"I suggest you keep an eye on him. You are William's closest friend, and the only one that can approach him without making him feel suspicious. There is something... Odd in that young man. I cannot quite place it, but I saw it as soon as I met him."

"Do you think he might want to hurt Billy?" Kate asked coldly, thinking of that time when Jackson had kept Billy's bloodstained tissues.

"I do not know. But I can feel he is hiding something." Stephen replied in a serious tone. "Have you ever noticed anything suspicious about him?"

"Now that you mention it..." Kate started, displeasure tainting her voice, "I think he kept some of Billy's blood after he tried to give Tommy his powers back. You know? The day you and Wanda told him about a spell that could work." She finished, her grey blue eyes staring coldly at the old mage. "Why would you give him hope? You told him his spells were everlasting, and yet you make him think he can break one of them. It didn't work by the way."

The Doctor Strange's frown grew deeper and deeper with each of Kate's words. He sighed heavily, and for the first time since he arrived, Stephen let his face show how truly this situation exhausted and pained him.

"William has always been a very talented mage. I knew I had felt something that day... I think he broke into my house and eavesdropped on a conversation I was having with Wanda about the mutant genocide and power transfer. I guess he tried to transfer some powers back into Thomas." The mage sighed again and took a deep breath. "I wish I had looked after him instead of Wanda. She was in no immediate danger, unlike him. My mistakes costed us the Demiurge and next Sorcerer Supreme." Kate paled at this statement.

"Billy was the next Sorcerer Supreme?" She asked.

"Yes. Now, I guess he is not. But that is not a problem, someone else will take his place. What concerns me is that he is the Demiurge. And that is a lot more scary. If he ascends to his Demiurge status once his sanity is broken, I am afraid of what he might do."

"We can countain him." Kate assured, wich made the Doctor frown again, his grey eyes scanning the archer severely.

"I don't think you fully understand what is happening to William, Miss Bishop. His mind is withering away. It should not be happening this soon. But his mind is weak. His depression left cracks in his psyche, and of course Chaos Magic jumped on that opportunity. He will start by having nightmares. Then hallucinations that will gradually make him lose all sense of reality whatsoever. And then he will hemorrhage magic. Every single thoughts of his, conscious or not will take form in our reality." He stated coldly. Kate's features collapsed, fear painting her face that had turned ashen. "And now you are scared of your friend." the Sorcerer Supreme pointed out. "Just like everyone else."

"I'm not!" Kate shouted, fierce, but looking shaken. "He's my best friend..." She added, but it was more to convince herself than the Doctor Strange. "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for him."

"I see that you still do not understand, Kate." Stephen whispered, using the shortened version of her name for the first time. "William is gone. In a few weeks from now, he will just be a puppet animated by wild magic. Your best friend is lost. Stay by his side for as long as he is still himself. Because if my calculations are correct, we will have to make sure he does not destroy reality as we know it, that means putting him down. And his boyfriend cannot be trusted, so we must keep an eye on him."

But Kate had stopped listenning, her hands finding the sides of her head as her ears buzzed and shock made her body feel cold. Her best friend. Put down like an animal turned rabid. Her hands turned to fists and she grabbed the Sorcerer by the collar of his cape before punching his face hard, the sound of her fist colliding with Stephen's jaw rang loud in the soundproof space the Doctor had created . She then released him and let him crumple down on the floor, holding the bottom of his face with a flabbergasted expression. He rose his grey eyes towards the young woman's face. And her face was just a mask of hatred. She was panting, and trembling, tears spilling at the corner of her eyes.

"That's for Billy." She growled, kneeling down and pulling her arm back before she threw another punch at Stephen, this time splitting his bottom lip. "And that's for being late." She then got back up on her feet and walked away, leaving the older man alone as he spit blood on the floor and tried to collect himself.

***

Teddy knew it was stupid. And that he was out of his mind for even daring to do what he was about to do. Progressing through the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters with his head ducked, he ignored every agent that threw funny looks at him. He walked and walked the hallways until he got to the circular room with all the computers. The door to Fury's office was closed, and he saw Steve coming out of the reunion room with Natasha and Clint. He instantly relaxed when he saw he was not the only one that was bringing gifts. His hand clenched around his flower bouquet, all yellow carnation and white chrysanthemum dotted here and there with blue daisies.

"Coming to visit Will?" Steve asked gently, holding what looked like a space encyclopedia under his arm. Natasha had gone with flowers too, but her bouquet was made of parma violets, bulgarian roses and hawthorn flowers. The scent reminded Teddy of something, but he could not quite place it. Clint was carrying a rather big stack of comics, and it made Teddy feel like an idiot. He knew Billy would love that Clint had brought him comics. He should have thought of this instead of flowers.

"Yeah." The shape shifter replied. "I just hope he won't be angry that I came to visit him." He mumbled.

"He'll love that you thought of him." Natasha assured.

"By the way, I'm rooting for you, so don't disappoint me Altman." Clint said. Teddy looked at the Archer with confusion, but he saw that the man was just trying to make a joke none of them was feeling. They all seemed worn out, guilt heavy on their shoulders, and worried sick. "Okay, I know. Next time, I'll just sign the joke, it'll be less embarassing." Clint sighed. "I just wanted to make it seem less... Hospital-y." He rambled on, but Natasha simply shook her head, her jaw clenched.

"We know it's hard on you. Probably harder." Steve chimed in, trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere that had started building. He put a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "But we're here. We won't make the same mistake twice. If you ever feel like talking, or that something is bothering you, you can come to us. We share an apartment, so you can even come knocking to my room."

"Thank you." Teddy replied quietly, but he was not feeling it. He actually wanted to be left alone, especially after Clint's seemingly harmless joke. He wanted to tell the older man that there was nothing to be rooting for, that Billy and him were ancient history, and that it was all his fault.

"The thing is, we didn't learn from our mistakes. We treated Wanda poorly because we didn't make the effort to try and understand her powers. And we've done the same with Billy." Natasha stated. "Now we only have ourselves to blame. No wonder it comes to bite us in the ass. We never looked past our fear. We should have." She grumbled. Teddy stayed silent. He did not want to validate nor deny. After all, the woman was speaking the truth. And if he had been sincere, the young man would have agreed with her. But he decided to shut his mouth.

"I just hope you're not too mad at us." Clint intervened, full of discern, as always. "You gotta understand that magic has caused us so much pain in the past that we did not feel particularly keen on meddling with it." The shape shifter simply turned a blank face on Clint. He hated that he was trying to justify what they had done.

"Well, you should have." He declared flatly.

"You're right. We should have. And we're sorry." Steve whispered, looking down. Teddy just nodded and started walking towards the room he had been put to rest after the shadow had sedated him the same day he had returned to New York. The room that was now Billy's room. He stopped in front of the door, freezing on the spot. He could not do it, he realized. He had no right to do it. Billy was not his boyfriend anymore. He was not even his friend. He took a step back before being joined by Natasha who grabbed his hand and squeezed. He looked down at her, and she gave him a reassuring nod before she rose a hand and knocked, Steve and Clint joining them soon after.

They stayed silent for a few seconds, but no answer came. Exchanging looks with the others, Natasha knocked again. But they still did not get any answer.

"He's maybe asleep. Strange said he would sleep a lot." Clint remarked.

"He got here two hours ago, and it's three in the afternoon. Will has trouble falling asleep. I don't think he is sleeping. The door is thick, I think he did not hear." Steve replied. Natasha nodded in agreement, and pulled her glove off her right hand before putting it on the little screen besides the door. It beeped before turning green, and the door slid open. They all waited for the door to slide completely, smiling.

But nothing could prepare Teddy for what he just saw in the room. Billy was sleeping. There were discarded clothes all around the bed. And curled around the mage, Jackson was sleeping as well. His heart skipped a beat, and something that felt like a clawed hand ripped at Teddy's chest, tearing his heart appart, rattling against his ribcage and reducing his inside to a bloody pulp. His hand shot to Natasha violently, as he looked down to hide his eyes, for the first time regretting he had shifted his hair shorter.

"You can keep the flowers." He croaked before rushing away from his teammates, not listenning as they called him, rushing away from the room, rushing away from Billy and Jackson asleep together in the same bed.

He just wished he could rush away from the agony he was feeling as well.

***

Billy was sitting in a large room, alone in front of the Avengers, the x-men and the Young Avengers. Nick Fury was sitting in the center of the front row, Natasha, Steve and Clint at is right, Tony, Johnny and Ororo Munroe at his left. On the right side of what Billy finally recognized as a court room, Kate was sitting next to Eli, Cassie on her other side. Nate sat right beside her. Teddy was not there, nor was Tommy. On the left side, Scott Summers was sitting on the front row with Wolverine, wearing a white version of their respective costumes. Behind them, each and every member of the x-men were dressed in the same color. The mutants all looked down, except for Cyclops whose lenses were glowing bright with interest, a satisfied grin on his face. Right behind Fury's table, the rest of the Avengers sat there, looking accusingly at the young mage.

"You have been denied the right for a defence. You have been denied the right for emprisonment. You have been denied the right for a proper execution. Do you have anything to say?" Fury called, his voice echoing through the room, making the hairs on Billy's arms stand upright. His brain was foggy, he did not understand what was happening and he looked around. He could not hold back a little distressed noise when he saw Wanda kneeling down next to his chair, tied up in chains, her face bruised and swollen. And she was crying. Next to her, a destroyed Vision was lying on the ground, electric sparks coming off from his torn appart figure. Turning his head to the other side his eyes fell on Tommy, and he started shaking.

His twin brother was tied over a table, naked from the waist down. Blood was dripping off the plane of the table and, against the wall on the right side, under the Young Avengers seats, Pietro was sitting. Billy wondered why he seemed so peaceful for a little moment, until the full horror of the situation hit him. The Scarlet Witch's brother's legs had been chopped off, and his eyes were blank. White locks of hair were falling over his forehead as his dead eyes stared at Billy who let out a cry of terror.

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!! We were your friends!! We were your family!!" Tommy erupted from the table, which made the mage focus back on his twin brother.

"Alright." Fury simply replied, before he made a gesture. A man dressed in the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform exited the shadows, his grip tight over chirurgical saw. "You may begin, agent Casey."

"NO!! NO!!" Billy screamed, distress turning into pain when an electric shock ran through him. His foggy brain wondered why it hurt him for a second. He was supposed to be able to produce lightning, so why was he not immune to it? But the screams that suddenly exploded beside him brought him back to the moment. Jackson had started his grim work. The sound of tearing flesh made cold sweat break out all over Billy's skin. Tommy's face was distorted beyond imaginable as he wailed. Finally, the sound of metal hitting the bone rang into the court and Billy screamed in horror. "STOP!!! STOP!!! I WANT YOU TO STOP!!! I WANT YOU TO STOP!!! IWANTYOUTOSTOP IWANTYOUTOSTOP IWANTYOUTOSTOP!!!" He shrieked, eyes wide. "MAKE HIM STOP!!! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!!" He commanded, tears of distress rolling down his cheeks, realization hitting him hard. They were killing their family. His father, his uncle, and now his twin brother. Tommy wailed again, and Billy barely had the time to turn his head to not see the speedster leg fall off on the floor.

His stomach twisted violently. Doubling over as much as he could as his arms were tied up to the elbow against the arms of the chair, he emptied his stomach between his feet. Tommy went on screaming for minutes and minutes. Billy looked to Wanda, who was struggling against her bonds violently. He saw her push, pull and even form magical gesture with her hands, but as she formed them, runes appeared along the chains, canceling her spells before she even managed to cast them. Her delicate hands were bloody, a few of her fingers were missing a nail. She had ripped them out scratching against the metal of her bonds. Finally, Wanda stopped struggling and simply let out an agonizing scream that made Billy nearly pass out from the sheer pain and distress it conveyed.

Jackson dropped Tommy's mutilated body next to Pietro's and went back to the shadows. Fury did not look moved by Wanda's and Billy's screams. He leaned towards the heroes on his right side and they whispered something. Then he leaned to his left and the heroes also said something. What Fury heard from both his sides seemed to concur with what he had in mind because he nodded with a smile.

"And now, the witches." He said. "Your have been denied the right for a defence. You have been denied the right for emprisonment. You have been denied the right for a proper excution." He repeated, and Billy knew it was his turn. The one eyed man looked far too pleased to be completely unbiased. In a last show of power, he turned towards the Young Avengers. "Like Thomas Shepherd, the High Counsil of the United States of America wishes for William Kaplan's teammates to decide the nature of his execution."

Billy turned his face towards his friends, pleading in silence. But they ignored him, leaning towards one another and whispering. After a few minutes of debate, Eli stood up, tall and proud.

"Burn the witch." He simply declared, and Wanda screamed again.

"NO!! PLEASE!! BURN ME INSTEAD!! NOT MY CHILD!! YOU ALREADY TOOK ONE!! DO NOT MAKE ME WATCH!! KILL ME FIRST!! I'M BEGGING YOU!!" She yelled, agony tainting her voice once again. But Fury simply let out a small laugh.

"Oh, Wanda. Can't you see? You're the one who created this menace. So your punishment is to watch it disappear." He stated with resolve, and Wanda started struggling against her bonds again, screaming and crying, going so wild she was drooling. "The sentence has been pronunced. Burn the witch." Fury declared, cold and collected in front of the Scarlet Witch's break down. 

Billy started shaking in his seat as a the tall figure of Johnny Storm climbed down the stairs of the Counsil tier. He blinked, once again taken aback by the blonde hair and squared jaw of his former teammate. Johnny was always surrounded by an Aura of confidence, but this time, it was only resolve that animated him. The silver four embedded on the right side of his chest caught the light as he finally stopped, just a few feet away from Billy's seat. The Human Torch rose a hand and produced a fireball. His sky blue eyes connected with Billy's brown irises as he pulled his arm back, aiming square at the young mage's chest.

"Tick tock." He said, and threw the fireball. It exploded against Billy's chest as he lit up, flames licking his body, his skin starting to crack and peel as the fire started devouring his body. Billy howled in pain before the flames entered his mouth, and his mind went black.

  


"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Lightning exploded all over the room as he flew upwards, naked as a baby, his head hitting the ceiling with a loud thud and he fell down before curling up on himself. His skin was damp with cold sweat and he was shaking so violently that he could not stand. The floor was cold against his body, making him shiver violently as he clutched his head, sobbing so hard he was choking. Sparks were dancing all over him, and a wave of nausea made is guts twist dangerously as he remembered his nightmare.

"Billy!" He heard and he opened his eyes, letting out a small screech of terror when he saw Jackson and the Avengers enter his room. He crawled to the opposite corner of the room, choked sobs escaping his throat. His limbs could not support his body and he collapsed, staying flat on his belly for a few seconds before he managed to sit up, his back against the wall. The others were proceeding slowly in his direction and another frightened sound came out of his mouth. "Billy..." Natasha repeated in the softest voice.

"IT'S WILLIAM!!" The young man howlered, his eyes turning bright blue. The room started shaking violently, surprising his teammates and Jackson. Steve clenched his jaw and tried to take a tep forward, but the young mage saw him and a line of blue fire appeared right in front of the Super Soldier. "Don't come any closer!" He commanded, full of distress. The Avengers stopped moving, their faces concerned. William wiped his tears, trying to stop shaking, and failing before he looked straight at them all. "Why are you killing us?" He asked, and his teammates blanched.

"What?" Clint asked, his voice weak with shock.

"YOU MURDERED MY FAMILY!!" William thundered, and the lights above his head exploded, white sparks falling over him, stinging his skin like a hundred bees. But he was so afraid and angry he barely felt it. "YOU MURDERED TOMMY!!" He finally exploded, the bed shot up in the air and fell down on the group as the bedside cabinet shot straight at Jackson who barely dodged it.

"Will! Calm down!" Steve shouted, which only got him a mystic bolt in the face. The energy was crackling around William, whose eyes were wide and panicked. Steve crashed in the wall behind him, his nose bleeding profusely. The others gasped as they tried to dodge the furnitures which were still attacking them relentlessly. William was still unable to stand, and his arms were too weak, but he managed to raise his hands, starting to chant as he excuted magical gestures. He finished with his left hand on top of the right, his thumbs and forefingers outstretched and the other fingers bent. His poisoning curse shot forward in the group direction, only to be stopped by a golden mandala. The runes along the edge of the Shielding Spell glowed bright blue as they absorbed William's magic.

"ENOUGH!" Stephen Strange's gravely voice echoed through the room, and he teleported right at the young man's side, removing the Cloak of Levitation from his shoulders to cover William's still naked body. "Stop it, William. It was a nightmare. It was not real." He said in a very calm voice. The young mage looked up at his former mentor, eyes full of tears as he dropped his hands, trembling violently. "It is over." Stephen added very softly. "You are safe. Everybody is safe." He promised, pulling the young man into a tight embrace, rubbing his back soothingly.

William closed his eyes and relaxed, tears spilling past his eyelids. Stephen's other hand curled behind his head, his fingers burried in the young man's unruly hair.

"Oh God... I'm sorry..." William whispered. "I saw them. They were killing us..." He tried to explain, burrying his face deeper in the Sorcerer Supreme's chest.

"It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare." The Doctor replied. "You did not hurt them. Do not worry."

Slowly, very slowly, the blue wall of fire died down, and the group came rushing to the two mages. Natasha instantly pulled the young man from Stephen's embrace and wrapped her arms around him. Steve was clutching his nose, but his eyes showed nothing but concern for William, his face gradually went blank, though, as the situation settled in his mind. He discreetely shifted away from the mages. Clint knelt by Natasha's side. He looked distraught but he did not say a word. Stephen was grateful William had his face burried in Natasha's shoulder so he could not see the hint of distrust in the archer's eyes. A haunted look was slowly painting Clint's features, and the Sorcerer knew he was remembering his death, caused by Wanda's magic.

Out of all of them, Clint was probably going to be the most dangerous for William when he would finally lose control. Stephen's mind was reeling as he came up with different plans to protect his former pupil, his hands hovering in front of Steve's face as he mended the super soldier's nose. When William finally calmed down enough to look up, Jackson grabbed his face to look into his eyes, his thumbs brushing against the other's cheekbones. The young mage tensed at first, his brown eyes widening with panic, but then he seemed to shake the thought that had just crossed his mind and just went with the caress.

"I'm sorry. So sorry." William whispered again, and covered his eyes with a hand, starting to cry again. Jackson's face fell and he pulled William in his lap before starting to rock him tenderly. The uneasy feeling spread through Stephen's chest once more and he got up.

"I will be back in a few." He announced flatly. "Everything is going to be fine now." He promised. But it was a lie. Everything was going to be worse from now on, and he needed to prepare. They all needed to prepare. And he needed to find out why Jackson Casey was making him so uncomfortable.

***

David was pacing the floor. He had been interrupted halfway through a very important part of his experiment. Banner was too tough for his taste. He never broke. And he needed him awake to know the exact dose of radiation that was necessary to create a Hulk. Taking his blood had provided no answers, and Xavier was too weak to try and use the Rogue serum to duplicate his powers. And they needed him alive. Rogue was already to far in her coma to ever wake up again, they could not afford her dying if they wanted to still be able to produce the serum. Shedding his lab coat, he dropped it on a nearby chair, trying to turn his hand invisible. He succeeded partially and nodded, taking out his notepad and a pen. He scribbled something down and looked up when he heard voices behind the door. Jackson and his father entered the older man's office, talking quickly, in a very excited tone.

"I think it's what we needed. Congratulations, son." Mister Casey said with pride, which made Jackson swell with pride. David looked at the two men, an eyebrow cocked. "Mister Alleyne. I know it's late, but I think we just found out what you needed to get rid of Kaplan." The older man announced, before taking a seat behind his desk. "Jackson?"

The young man nodded and took a seat as well.

"So, I was with William earlier, and the Doctor Strange visited him. He said he was working on a spell that would give the Scarlet Witch her powers back so she can break the spell that decimated the mutant race. He said something really interesting along the way. There is only one way a magic user can lose their powers, and it's Chaos Magic. So let's say you can come close enough to William after taking a dose of your serum. You touch him, you get his powers, and you just wish them away." David's eyes started shining with interest.

"That is actually a very good plan. And we'll kill two birds with one stone. Whatever happens, make sure Strange succeeds as well. I want my powers back. I'm tired of using someone else's all the time. Now, if I take Billy's powers away, I can get rid of him without him trying to resist."

"You still want to kill him then." Jackson asked, just to be sure.

"Yes. And we gotta get Tommy as well. He's a sociopath. I don't want the speedster coming after me once I've killed his twin brother." David replied flatly.

"Is it necessary?" Jackson said, a bit unsure. "He doesn't have any powers now. William took them away."

"Absolutely necessary. If what you said is true, then when Billy loses his magic, all the spells he cast in the past will be broken. So Tommy will get his powers back. But we can't do it yet. They're going to get suspicious if we go after Tommy just as Billy is at his weakest point. We need to lay low. Maybe keep on sending enhanced here and there under the banner of HYDRA to keep them distracted. Fury still thinks he's in charge?"

"Yes. There are still a few agents that are loyal to him, but the ones my dad managed to buy after Demise Day are doing a fine job at collecting pieces of information. Everything we need to destroy their little vigilante association will soon be in my possession."

"So when you say that every spell will be broken, that means their HQ is going to be exposed as well?" Casey chimed in, looking very pleased. David simply nodded.

"I gotta warn you that Strange is getting suspicious towards me. And Kate Bishop as well." Jackson announced.

"Nevermind Kate. It's Strange we've gotta worry about. I luckily have all his knowledge of magic. I'll create a charm so he doesn't read your mind or anything." David decided. "It feels good to know we've won."

"Speaking of winning, can we know what your motive is now?" The older man asked David. "You never told us." David got up and went to look out the window, the stars were shining bright that night, and the lights of the Bronx were reflected against the glass.

"You know I want Kaplan dead. But that's not my motive. I want to see the Scarlet Witch suffer. I want her to lose what is the most precious thing in her eyes. Like she made me lose what was my most precious thing. I want her children dead. If I can make them suffer along the way, then that's fine. I planned this a while ago. First, seduce Billy's boyfriend. It was easy, Teddy was already filled with doubts thanks to Loki. He was so desperate to be loved for whom he is, and make sure he was not a magical construct with the sole purpose of loving the other idiot. He's also utterly unable to see the bad in people. I just had to stay with him long enough to make it impossible for him to go back to the love of his life. Making friends with Tommy was trickier, but as I told you before, my knowledge of magic is more than absolute, thanks to the Doctor Strange. I just had to put two and two together when I noticed a few changes around me when Billy summoned Mother. Meddling with the multiverse without having the necessary knowledge is the best way to make mistakes. I was slowly making my way into Tommy's life when I saw the interdimensional parasite that had taken the form of Elijah Bradley in his first Patriot uniform. I knew Tommy would not resist investigating. And when the parasite zapped him, I thought I had succeeded in getting rid of him. But it turned out even better in the end, since I got to join the Young Avengers. So I'm going to kill them both. And then watch the witch suffer. The best part is that I won't need to kill her to get my powers back, since Strange is already working on a way to cancel her spell. Funny how things work out when you're patient enough."

"And at the same time, we'll expose and destroy the S.H.I.E.L.D. I must say, I'm very glad our interests align so well." Jackson's father said with a smirk. "I'll be able to avenge my wife. I want to see Fury be punished for Demise Day. He should never have sent you all out to battle. You and your superhero friends caused too much destruction."

"I'm sorry about your wife." David said flatly. "But you know what the risk was when you agreed to work for the Secret Services. Being your wife, she was in danger all the time."

"Fury will be sorry as well, believe me. I started to get back at him eight years ago, and managed to destroy his little enterprise. But he mocked me when he brought it back. This idiot did not manage to keep the secret more than six month, and as we speak, the villains they depowered thanks to Kaplan are more than ready to get their revenge. We're slowly getting our very own Avengers, and they won't see it coming. But we need to keep them at bay. I don't want another stunt like Pest's. The medias still think it's the Scarlet Witch's doing, and I want it to stay like that. Make the Avengers think they're safe, an then we take everything away from them."

David let a satisfied smile blossom on his face. Their plan was going to go smoothly.

***

Teddy was sitting on the roof of his building. His cheeks felt dry and itchy from the hours he had spent crying. Steve was still at the HQ, and he did not feel like getting back to their apartment. For the first time since he had come back, he was actually seeing he had lost Billy. It had been easy before, just trying to find a way to make amends and refusing to see he was making things worse. He never apologized. And that was the thing he should have done in the first place.

And, really, who was he kidding? Billy was never going to return to him, but even he was not sure he wanted that anymore. The possibility of having been created or bewitched to fall in love with the mage could not be proven. But he still needed to apologize. Billy was at the HQ, and he did not think he could face him after what he saw the earlier in the afternoon. He wanted to make things right, for everyone. So he needed to go see the Kaplans and apologize for his poor behavior towards their son, and towards their family. They had taken him in and he had fled without looking back. Maybe he would feel better after that, but he sincerely doubted that.

The Kaplans had managed to find a house in the Upper West Side, and Teddy's heart clenched at the view of the brownstone. It was different from their old house they had managed to buy back once it had been rebuilt, and yet so familiar. A brownstone, except the door was green instead of red and that the steps that led to said door were more narrow. Teddy climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door, fighting to urge to shift into something small and meaningless, and went very pale when the door swung open to reveal Ben, Billy's youngest brother.

Ben gasped and took a step back, his big brown eyes, so similar to Billy's going sad by the second.

"Ben! Who is it?" Rebecca called from within the house before she appeared behind her son. She dropped the book that was in her hands and froze on the spot, her mouth opening in a shocked expression. "Teddy?" She asked, her right hand flying to cover her mouth. And that was it. Teddy looked down to hide his tears. Rebecca came to the door and pulled the young man into a hug. Then she took a step back and hit his shoulder hard enough to make him yelp and look up. "Eight years! Theodore Rufus Altman, it's been eight years! You went away, you never called! Do you realize how worried we've been? Jeff has been trying to find you!" She grabbed his arms and started shaking him. "We were supposed to take care of you! I didn't sleep for a month after Demise Day!" Rebecca suddenly started shouting.

"I'm sorry, Ms Kaplan." Teddy croaked, unable to meet the woman's eyes. Rebecca turned bright red with fury.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?!!? I really hope you are young man! You can't imagine the relief we've felt after we saw you at the... Oh, you fucking know where!" She swore and that surprised Teddy. He never heard Rebecca Kaplan swear. "Get inside. I have a lecture I've been planning to give you for eight years." She growled, walking back inside her house and picking up her book in the process. Teddy took a step inside when he felt Ben tug at his sleeve. He turned his head towards the young man.

"I just... Josh is pretty mad at you. You're not gonna like what he has to say to you." Ben whispered, avoiding the shapeshifter's eyes. He had grown up a lot, almost as tall as Billy, Teddy remarked. He was skinny and he looked sick and tired. His eyes were small, as if he had not slept enough since his family had moved back. He lifted a hand to scratch at the hint of a stubble on his chin. The boy looked away and led Teddy to the kitchen. Rebecca was sitting with her arms and legs crossed. Jeff was standing behind her, a frown on his face as he cleaned his glasses. But what made Teddy stop was the hateful stare Josh was throwing his way.

"You have some nerves showing up here." The second Kaplan boy hissed, putting his hand flat on the table. "Are you happy with yourself? You break my brother's heart, leave with your new fuck buddy, never answer when we try to reach you and show up here with your hands in your pockets?" This comment made Teddy remove his hands from his pockets to put them behind his back. Josh rose a hand and Rebecca snapped.

"Hands down Josh! And don't talk to him like that!" Josh let out a joyless laugh.

"Right! Let's pretend we're not mad at Teddy! After all, it's not like what he did is bad, right? But where was he when Billy was sent to the hospital twice a month for being a mutant? It doesn't matter that he fucking cheated on my brother, your son, and that he preferred to run away instead of having the balls to face his mistakes."

"Language!" Jeff thundered. "Don't speak to your mother like that!"

"No! As far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me. You're an asshole for what you did to Billy, and a fucking hypocrite, acting like you're a goddamn good person when you're in fact the trashiest being I've ever met."

"Josh!" Rebecca called, her voice weak suddenly. She looked disheartened.

"Mom! Billy is going crazy! Why do you think it's happening? Because, when you think of it, it all leads back to one person. Teddy." Josh shouted. And furious tears started pouring out of the young man's eyes. "It's all because of you!" He said before lunging at Teddy and pushing him violently. Ben gasped and grabbed Josh. And he lifted him off the ground as easily as if he had been made of air. Teddy just stood there, his back sore, transfixed as he kept his eyes on Ben. Josh thrashed for a few seconds before he calmed down. "Put me down." He commanded. Ben obeyed and retreated towards Jeff and Rebecca. Josh wiped his cheeks angrily. And then he stormed out of the kitchen.

Teddy turned his face towards Rebecca, who was crying silently, and Jeff who kept his unmoved face on the shapeshifter. God, when did he get so old? Teddy wondered, noticing the grey hair on Billy's father's head. And when did Ms Kaplan get all these wrinkles on her face?

"It started after we moved away." Jeff broke the silence. "Josh and Ben. Turns out we have the mutant gene." Teddy looked at Ben again. The boy looked away. Rebecca wiped her cheeks and let out a distressed sigh.

"Sit down Teddy." She commanded, her voice firm despite her miserable state. The young man obeyed immediately, dreading what the Kaplans were going to say to him "We're very displeased by your attitude. And we're tired. When we learned Billy had powers, and had decided to use them to fight crime, we were worried. Then everything happened and it almost tore our family apart, especially after your friend Cassie died. We've seen our son fall deeper and deeper into depression as the day went by, but you managed to get him out of this, and even if we didn't tell you, we were very grateful. There's nothing worse for a parent than seeing their child suffer. And you've been the main source of pain for Billy, as well as his greatest source of strength. Everything was perfect between you two. Until that spell thing came into light." She took a break to calm the sobs that were threatening to escape her throat. "I'm not saying we don't understand such revelation was a shock to you, but we've all made mistakes. You did as well, and Billy forgave you every time. I just want to know why you didn't do the same? Why couldn't you stay and talk with him about it?" Rebecca asked, breaking and starting to cry into her hands. Jeff's eyes were shining with tears as well as he put his hands on his wife's shoulders. "And now we're going to lose him."

"I'm..." Teddy began, but what could he tell her? Sorry would not mean anything. He had destroyed their family. "I'm unforgivable." He realized, and he started crying, feeling his soul getting crushed by the guilt he had tried to repress. It was suddenly hard to breathe and he choked on his own spit. Billy's brain was getting consumed by Chaos Magic. He put his hands in front of his face, wanting to hide forever. Shame started to rise in his chest and he dropped his hands. The young man kept his eyes on the floor. "I've broken your son. I'm a monster. I don't deserve you talking to me. I won't bother you anymore" He whispered, and got up before fleeing towards the exit. He was about to open the door when he felt a firm hand on his elbow. He was pulled back and trapped into a bear hug.

"You don't understand. And you don't learn from your mistakes. You can't keep running away, son." Jeff stated firmly, letting go of the young man. "You're unforgivable until you make amends for what you did. You're not a bad person. You're just a young man who made a lot of serious mistakes, but instead of running, you should try and make it better."

"I've tried already!" Teddy protested weakly, which made Jeff shake his head.

"No you haven't. When we saw Billy, he didn't even want to talk about you. You're running away tonight and we never got the chance to talk about the past eight years."

"But..." Teddy could not look at the man, but he was forced to when Jeff gripped his shoulder tight.

"No buts, Teddy!" Jeff suddenly replied angrily. "You're not getting away this time. You come back to this kitchen and we're going to finish this talk. Now."

They spent the rest of the night talking, Ben left after five minutes, looking worn out. They cried a lot, especially when Teddy mentioned he had realized he was still in love with Billy as soon as he got to Seattle. He apologized often, and got reprimanded just as much. But they mainly caught up, and Teddy realized how much he had missed the Kaplans, and how much pain and sorrow he had caused to this family. How much he had broken Billy and let the others pick up the pieces. But even through the sorrow, his heart felt warmer than it had been for the past few weeks. The Kaplans had scolded him, and given him a proper lecture, first about leaving like he did and second for cheating on Billy. But they did it the way parents would do it. Or the way his mother would have done it.

He left their house with his chest heavy with emotion, but relieved in some way. Jeff and Rebecca were mad at him, but not to the point of hating him, unlike their second son, Josh. Teddy knew something would be broken forever between them both, but he had the feeling he could make it better. Billy and him was ancient history, but maybe he could fix some other things. It was a bittersweet thought, but it made the young man straighten as he made his way back to Brooklyn. He was going to crawl to deserve forgiveness, and he was very willing to do it if it meant he could make everything better.

***

A few days passed, and William did not have any other nightmares. Well that was what the others thought. But whenever he managed to fall asleep, which only lasted for a couple hours at night, he was plagued with visions as horrific as the first one. He was sitting with his knees up under his chin, trying to calm his breathing. He could still feel the gush of blood on his face when the raven had gouged his father's eyes out. The only thing that comforted him was that he had not lost control of his powers this time. Stephen was not in his room, which meant he had not sensed any disruption coming from the young mage in the Magic Flow.

"You are so boring." A velvety voice declared at William's right side, making him jump. Loki smirked and crossed his legs as he leaned back on the single swivel chair that was left in the room. William gasped, and blanched. All the Asgardians had been banned from Earth after Demise Day. And the government had asked for a security system that would warn them if any of them visited the Earth unauthorized. Even Loki could not cheat it, since the key was Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. The young man focused back on Loki who was snapping his fingers. "You're not even listening to me! How am I supposed to manipulate you into destroying the reality if you do not listen, Billy?!"

William swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat. It was nothing. A hallucination. He was not going to acknowledge it. He fought the urge to correct it about his name and clenched his jaw, looking straight ahead. Loki pouted and crossed his arms.

"You are such a disappointment. I paved the way for you, you know? I got rid of that stupid Prince Charming of yours so that you could fulfill your destiny and become the Demiurge. If I'd had more time, I could have persuaded you into letting me be the Demiurge. But of course, Teddy had to come back and make you all happy again. Oh well. Seeing the state you're in now, it's only a matter of time before you ascend. My beautifully broken and lonely little mage."

"Shut up." William groaned, his throat narrow. "Teddy left me because of you. You got what you wanted. Leave me alone." His hands were tight around his elbows as he used his arms to press his knees further into his chest. "I'm not the Demiurge. I'll never ascend."

"Oh, you will ascend, Billy. After you lose everything, because you see, you can't ascend unless you give up everything willingly. Your family, your friends, the man you love, your life... Speaking of the man you love, Billy, is it Jackson?" Loki taunted, his voice tainted with laughter. "Did it feel the same when he had his hands on you?" William's stomach twisted with disgust, and he bit his lips not to respond. Loki kept going, enjoying this little torture he was putting the young man through. "It must have been real hard preventing yourself from shouting Teddy's name when he was inside, isn't it?"

William exhaled shakily. Rage was bubbling inside him. His blood was pulsing at his temples, but he had to hold on. Hold on until the hallucination passed.

"Because we both know Jackson is just an excuse. An excuse to push Teddy away. We both know you wanted him back as soon as you saw him, that day in the reunion room. But does he want you too? Or does he want you because _you want him to?_ " That question made William almost jump out of his skin. "Do you still have doubts, Billy? Even when you perfectly know you're the only thing in Teddy's mind all the time? What more evidence do you need to face the fact you warped your ideal man into being real?"

"Enough..." The young man shuddered as he closed his eyes. He could not take it anymore. "Leave me alone."

"You want me gone?" Loki smirked. "Then just say it, Billy. Say you want me gone. You know how to do it. You just have to want it. Say it. Say it and I'll be gone."

"I want you gone." Billy whispered, tears of distress spilling past his eyelids as he caved in and felt a small thread of Chaos Magic escape him before fading into the air around him. This reaction felt familiar, but he could not remember the moment he had seen magic behave like this.

He stayed silent for a few minutes before he realized Loki was gone. Gabbing a fistful of his hair, the young man buried his face in his knees and kept on crying in silence, shutting the world out.

***

At the same moment, the Avengers were on a mission. Hydra was becoming more and more daring, almost taunting since the Pest video. They had sent enhanced people on Time Square to cause some mayhem. If it was not a provocation, Kate could not tell what it was. But even she could tell those people were just pawns. They had been surprised when the Avengers had attacked. Hydra seemed to use them as bait, forcing the heroes to come out of hiding, but never telling the enhanced people whom they were going to face. They probably believed in the Scarlet Witch story.

Before engaging, Strange had performed various spells to keep the fight hidden from prying eyes and ears, and moving through the weird space he had created in the middle of Time Square was like stepping into a dream. Everything around Kate seemed dull, except for her teammates and enemies. Their shouting was deafening, and she could not feel more grateful that the most of them were dressed in black. The purple color of her own suit looked too vibrant now, and it was hurting her eyes. She aimed an explosive arrow at the man walking towards her. Breathing steadily, she fired, knocking the man back.

A few feet away from her, Natasha was using her electric batons to jab, hit and club her opponent. Sparks were flying with each strike as she gracefully dodged each and every of the enhanced man's attacks. He was too big and too slow, and as the woman did a cartwheel to get out of the way, the man punched through the concrete. Black Widow rose her right arm and her bracelet went off, shooting an explosive dart.

Clint and Steve were fighting the same enhanced. Clint was using his bow as a club and Steve had left his shield on his back to simply use his fists. It was messy and brutal, with blood flying everywhere, and Kate had to look away. She was not a lightweight, but this looked too much like a beat down for her to be able to handle the view. The Doctor Strange was hovering above them, placing a few shielding spells here and there, as well as incapacitating the enemies with well placed hexes.

Storm trapped one of the enhanced people in a small tornado before striking him with no less than six lightning bolts. Kate felt sick when she saw the man crumple on the ground, smoke coming off of him. What were they doing? She stopped for a second to watch as Natasha ran to another enhanced and jumped sending her heel square in the woman's face with a crunching noise. Sure, they were strong, and they needed to be arrested, but nothing excused this sudden display of violence. With a grimace, she dodged a kick aimed at her stomach, angry at herself for getting distracted. Se pulled an arrow out of her quiver and activated it as she drew the string of her bow. She jumped and aimed at her opponent's feet. When the arrow collided with the concrete, a thick purple foam started swelling around the enhanced before turning rock solid. What happened next left her standing in complete shock.

She watched as the Human Torch sent a huge fireball at her opponent, making her foam trap shatter and lighting him up. Kate screamed in horror, but the thunder was already rumbling. A heavy rain started pouring over the fight. Kate ran and knelt over her enemy to check his vital signs. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw his skin was just a bit red and that he was still breathing. Looking up, she saw Johnny standing there as if he was expecting something.

"You son of a bitch." She snarled. "Never do that again!" She warned, shoulder checking the older man as she passed by him to return to the fight. She spotted Teddy a few feet away. He was having a hard time fighting a woman. He dodged and ducked, but he never seemed to try and take a swing at her. So Kate ran in his direction taking another explosive arrow from her quiver. She aimed and fired, hitting the woman in the shoulder. Teddy smiled at her, grateful, but the young woman huffed angrily. "Go pretend to be a good person somewhere else!" She shouted as she engaged with the woman, forcing the shapeshifter out of the way. "Or try to be a good person when it matters, dammit!"

It was not fair to do that while they were fighting, but her adrenaline levels were skyrocketing, and she could not lay eyes on Teddy without thinking it was his fault Billy was slowly sinking into madness.

"Move, Teddy!" She barked as she almost ran into him while dodging a punch. She could still catch a few glimpses of the fight around, and it was really getting ugly. She had to end this. She blocked the enhanced woman's punch difficultly and slammed her bow in her face, jumping backwards before shooting a foam arrow at her enemy. And she did that right on time, it seemed. The other enhanced people had been taken care of, and now, Steve was the only one fighting, Clint was slowly backing off, a horrified expression on his face. Kate stopped and saw teeth fly out of the enhanced man's mouth.

The enhanced man was covered in blood and could barely stand up. But the super soldier was still hitting him, his fists making filthy noises as they collided with the other's face. And inside the Doctor Strange's concealing spell, it was like thunder to the young woman's ears.

She felt like she was moving in slow motion as she rushed to stop Steve, Natasha by her side. The rest was a blur. Kate could see her hands grab and pull Steve away, but it seemed foreign, as if it did not really happen. Did Stephen really land and perform a healing spell on the man? Or did she imagine it?

Back in the quinjet, they gathered the criminals in a circle, all tied with magical bonds. Stephen was studying them as the silence grew heavy. They stayed like that, barely looking at each other during long minutes. Finally, it was Johnny who talked first.

"Can't you just... Poof?" He asked the Sorcerer Supreme, wiggling his fingers. Stephen turned his severe grey eyes on the Torch.

"Although my knowledge of magic is absolute, I do not use Chaos Magic like Wiccan used to. I need to think about what could work and what could not before acting. I could use a Regressing Charm, but that will take time, and it will be extremely painful to them. It might even kill them. I could try and purge them from the Super MGH cocktail, but that could make their organs melt. So no, I can't 'just poof'."

"Take two of them and try what you said. You'll know what to do then." Johnny proposed, and Kate saw red.

"Tell me you did not said that." She demanded, clenching her jaw. The young woman looked around to realize she was the only one shocked by Johnny's proposition. "Are you serious?" She asked, her face growing more and more hard. "You're really willing to put those people lives at risk?"

"We don't have Wiccan anymore. It was easy with him, he just had to wave his hands. The only way we can do this now is by experimenting." Steve pointed out, but he did not seemed as convinced as he would like to be. Kate stood there, slowly processing what was happening. "Oh God...." She chuckled and put a hand on her forehead. Her little laugh grew louder and louder to the point she started crying, her belly hurting.

"Uh, Kate?" Teddy called, his features full of stupor as Kate's laugh grew a bit manic.

"Fuck me. And here I was, believing you when you said you were trying to make things right. Hell, I even believed you cared about Billy." The young woman let out. "But it was bullshit, right? You just want to fight crime, whatever it takes. Billy was just a mean to an end, right? An affordable casualty to you. You never truly trusted him with his powers." She pointed out, another fit of giggle coming out of her mouth. "And here I was, thinking he was safe with you all."

Steve took a step forward, full of concern. Kate felt nothing but disgust as she locked her eyes with the super soldier's. She used to admire him, always righteous and strong, fighting for the greater good and never leaving anyone behind.

"Kate... You're losing your mind." Teddy tried to reason, but he was pale, his eyes going to one of his teammates to another, doubt slowly swelling inside his chest. He should have stayed silent. Because as soon as he closed his mouth, Kate lost it.

"No, I'm perfectly sane. But you know who isn't? Billy! Because they used him to get what they wanted, no matter what happened to him!" She shrieked, making everyone jump. "And you! You bastard! You come back after ruining him with a straight face, thinking everything will be alright? How can you live with yourself, Teddy? And don't feed me that spell story crap!" She warned as the shape shifter opened his mouth to retort. "Of all the people here, you're the less fit to talk about what one should do or not with their powers! If Billy ever put a spell on you, it was not deliberate, but you refused to even consider that possibility. You destroyed him as much as Chaos Magic did. You Teddy! And all of you!" Kate spat. "I'm done! I'm leaving. And Billy is coming with me." She decided.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do such thing, Kate." Steve whispered. "Will is going insane. He's too dangerous to roam freely in the city." The young woman blinked back her tears and, as fast as ever, she grabbed an arrow, nocked it and drew the string of her bow.

"Try me, Rogers." She was shaking, but Steve was too close. She would not miss. Suddenly, a firm hand gripped her shoulder. She looked at her right and saw that Stephen was looking straight ahead, his touch warm and comforting.

"I think Kate and I are going to take it from here." He announced. "William will be transferred to the Sanctum Sanctorum as of today."

"What are you doing?" Kate asked the Sorcerer who kept his eyes on their teammates.

"I am trying to be on time." Stephen retorted. "William needs me. And this time, I will be here. Kate and I are going to teleport to the headquarters now." He declared, starting to move his hands in a quick series of gestures.

"Stephen, we can't let you do this!" Steve started to protest, taking a step forward again, but this time, Teddy stepped in between the two men. He had shifted, and was even bigger than he used to when he took his Hulkling form.

"I think Stephen is right. Billy will go to the Sanctum Sanctorum. He is the most skilled to take care of him. Back off."

"Ted..." There was a warning in Steve's tone, but the shape shifter made himself grow bigger.

"I said back off. You're not getting anywhere near Billy. He will go to the Sanctum Sanctorum." Teddy growled, and Steve made a face.

"He's a ticking time bomb. Don't say I did not warn you when he goes off. Because he will."

"And I will be there to make sure he does not hurt anyone." Stephen finished. His hands were joined and golden sparks were slowly going off between his palms. "You have done enough. I thought you were merely misunderstanding what William was doing on the field, but your lack of sympathy towards him shows you have simply been thinking of him as a weapon in your little crusade. You should all be ashamed. You are not doing what you are doing for justice, but for punishment. This is not what we are supposed to do, and I will not let you use William again."

"Do as you wish. But don't come crying if it gets ugly."

"Steve, enough." Natasha grunted. "Go, Stephen. Tell Billy we're sorry." She added, looking down.

"Sorry is not enough, Natasha." Kate barked, and the older woman nodded.

"I will tell him." The Sorcerer Supreme promised, and separated his hands. A portal appeared behind him and Kate and he pulled the young woman by the shoulder gently. "Shall we?"

They turned around and entered the swirling magic door and disappeared before anyone could add something. Teddy clenched his jaw and shifted back, stiffening when he saw Natasha take a tentative step towards him.

"Leave me alone." He commanded and went to sit at the back of the quinjet.

***

"You will not take Kaplan!" Fury thundered, his only eye shooting daggers at a very unimpressed Doctor Strange. "He already lost it earlier this week, and almost destroyed the team. I can't let you take him. Can you imagine the damage he could cause? It's too risky, and I can't allow it. What if the S.H.I.E.L.D got exposed for one reason or another because of him?"

"I see." Stephen simply said. "I am not asking you, Nicholas. I am telling you. William will come with me to the Sanctum Sanctorum. He cannot stay here. The atmosphere is too toxic, and your phobia of magic blinded you. You never saw him as a human being, and look where it got him." The Sorcerer Supreme got up and turned around, exiting the office with Fury behind him.

"Strange!" The one eyed man called, but Stephen ignored him and went to the room that was sheltering his former student. He placed his hand on the small screen next to the door and entered, surprising the young man inside.

William looked exhausted. He was pale to the point he seemed grey, his brown eyes were dull and huge dark circles were spreading under them. Sitting on the bed next to the young man, Jackson eyed Stephen with confusion.

"Pack your things, William. You are moving to the Sanctum Sanctorum. I will take care of you." The older man announced, kneeling besides the bed. The older man fought to maintain composure when he saw the hopeful light that appeared in the young man's eyes. A tired smile blossomed on William's face and tears started pouring out of his eyes.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you." He said, his voice shaking. Jackson got up and grabbed the young mage's bag.

"Here, I'll help you." The agent declared, gathering William's possession thoroughly.

"You will do no such thing Agent Casey! Stand down!" Fury erupted, his hands traveling down to his waist where he kept his gun but froze when the tip of an arrow touched his cheek. Kate gave him a satisfied grin as the arrowhead dug softly in the man's face.

"I think it's settled." Jackson declared, looking at Fury. He dropped William's books in the bag, and grabbed his clothes. "No offense, sir, but Will's well being is a bit more important than your big ideals. I suggest you stand down."

The one eyed man huffed furiously. He clenched his jaw and looked straight at William who was listening to them all passively. He wondered, for a second, when the young man had become so thin and ill-looking. And for the first time since Maria's death, Fury thought that he had gone overboard with him. But his anger took over once more.

"You've been defying me since you enrolled. You've finally succeeded at tearing what we created apart. I suppose you're happy now?" He snarled, wincing when Kate's arrow dug a bit further into his cheek.

Jackson finished packing up and hauled the bag on his shoulder. William got up, still shaking, and Stephen grabbed his arm to support him. The Sorcerer Supreme turned his face towards Jackson, understanding he had misjudged him. The uneasy feeling he got every time he looked at the young man was gone and he gave him a small nod.

"Come, William." Stephen commanded leading the young man out of the room.

"Can I call my parents when we get there? I want to see them." William asked quietly. "They were not allowed in the HQ, and simply having them on the phone is not enough."

"Sure." Stephen agreed and William smiled with gratitude. His smile quickly fell though, when he spotted Loki behind Fury. Cold sweat started pouring down his back, and he hunched on himself.

"Tick tock, Billy. Tick tock." The apparition warned with a devilish smile.

The announcement of Strange and Kate's resignation hit the team hard. They were all arguing in the reunion room, shouting about what should be done now that they had lost the two only people that could actually turn the enhanced people back to normal. Teddy had not opened is mouth once. The shape shifter simply kept gazing at his teammates with growing annoyance. He had been stupid and naive, like always. He did not know what was worse, the fact that his heroes were just a bunch of hypocrites, or the fact that he was dumb enough to believe them. All these years, and they still feared magic more than any power in the world. The betrayal he felt was even more painful when he looked at Steve. The man had given up as soon had he heard about Billy's condition.

Natasha was just as silent as himself, Teddy remarked. She held herself shamefully and refused to make eye contact with the shape shifter. He sighed and looked away. Steve and Clint were yelling at each other, Clint trying to demonstrate when they had fucked up, and Steve trying to prove what he had done what was right. As always when it came to fighting, Ororo was trying to temper things and calm everyone, her eyes whitening dangerously.

"We're not getting anywhere like this!" The white haired woman protested, which made Johnny huff.

"Right. But we're way past civilized debates, Storm." He mocked her. "We've got a crazy reality warper on the loose, who knows what can happen once he loses it for good? Oh! Right! We do. We've all seen what Wanda Maximoff was capable of doing, and now her son his sliding down the same path. Logan was right when he said we needed to kill him."

"You shut your mouth right now." Teddy threatened the older man, who simply chuckled.

"You shut your mouth, kid. You don't even know what we're talking about. Kaplan blinded you with love, and you're not able to function properly, so when I want your opinion, I'll ask you. Sure, Wiccan was a great asset for the team before he went nuts. But now he's probably the most dangerous thing out there. And now we're stuck. Strange bailed, and he was the only one we could rely on after Kaplan."

"I'm going to tear out your tongue if you don't stop talking." Teddy warned, his skin turning green and scaly. Johnny lit up in flames in retaliation.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see that." The Torch taunted, leaning forward.

"You're not even ashamed to admit you used him. And you dare call yourself 'heroes'?" Teddy growled, looking around.

"We did care! But he will lose it. Just like Wanda!" Steve thundered. "Do you think we want another disaster? If he had been straightforward about the cost of magic...."

"A MAGIC YOU ENCOURAGED HIM TO USE, STEVE!" Teddy clamored, silencing everyone around the table. "BECAUSE YOU NEVER TRIED TO UNDERSTAND MAGIC! NONE OF YOU! YOU HIDE YOURSELF UNDER THE SCARLET WITCH EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY YOUR DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR, BUT THE TRUTH IS, YOU'RE JUST A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES UNABLE TO TRUST SOMEONE WITH A POWER SUCH AS BILLY'S! IT'S FINE AS LONG AS HE GOES YOUR WAY, BUT ONCE HE FACES TROUBLE, HE'S SUDDENLY THE WORST THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN? YOU'RE PATHETIC! AND IF THE S.H.I.E.L.D CAN'T KEEP ON SAVING PEOPLE BECAUSE WE LOST TWO OF THE BEST REALITY WARPERS OF OUR TIMES, YOU ASKED FOR IT!"

The young man got up. He could not stand being in the same room as them anymore. He had lost everything because of super heroism. His mother was dead, the Young Avengers had scattered around the country, and now Billy, the person he loved the most in this world was dating and sleeping with another man, and slowly sinking into insanity. He had suffered enough. He turned around and walked towards the exit of the reunion room, just as Fury came in, carrying a large file.

"Altman? What are you doing? Our spies just informed me of a new group of enhanced we need to arrest." The man announced.

"Good for you." Teddy growled. "And good luck finding someone to take away their powers." He added, exiting the room.

***

The room Stephen had given William was wide and bright. The young man had been intimidated at first, when he had stepped into the big mansion. But as soon as Stephen had closed the door, an atmosphere of peace and safety had settled around the building. The Sorcerer Supreme had given Kate and William a quick tour, and once he had shown them where William would be sleeping, he had retreated to his study to call his former student's family.

Kate was sitting on the bed as her best friend unpacked. She was talking, but the young man was too distracted by another hallucination. He felt weak and sick as the eighteen years old version of Tommy kept harassing him.

"The official version is that you had to take a break from work because of family issues. I had to find something. I'm sorry." Kate was saying but her voice was covered by Tommy.

"She's lying for you. You really bring out what's bad in people, don't you?" William ignored him, but his twin brother did not stop. "How long do you think she will put up with you?" The dark haired young man, turned around to grab his bag but was stopped dead as Tommy sped in front of him. "Let's see. Your best friend becomes a violent, trigger happy liar because of you. Your ex boyfriend is just the shadow of himself because he always puts you first. Your brother, I mean me, goes bananas because he can't stand being forced to be a goody two shoes, and turns into a drunk. Your boyfriend sacrifices his job stability to try and live up to a certain alien hybrid. Wow. When you sum up, it's pretty bad, don't you think, Billy?"

"Billy, are you okay? You're pale." Kate asked softly.

"It's William!" The young mage shouted, surprising Kate. He was not talking to her, but to Tommy, who let out a satisfied laugh.

"You said it was okay that I call you Billy." Kate said, frowning. William looked at her and put a hand on his forehead.

"Sorry. Old habit." He lied as Tommy cackled at his right. Kate seemed concerned, but she did not mention it.

"Funny how you try to pretend you're okay. Do you think she'll believe you? Wanna bet? How long before our dear Katie realizes you're actually really, really going cuckoo? Tick tock, Billy."

"Oh, my God! Tommy shut up!" William shouted and Kate got up.

"Billy?" Kate went very serious. "Are you hallucinating right now?"

"Oops." Tommy laughed, and before William could reply, he was gone. The young man started shaking. What could he say? Lying would not get him anywhere, Kate already knew Chaos Magic was consuming his mind.

"It started a few hours ago. I saw Loki. And now I saw Tommy... From before, when he still had his powers. I'm scared." William confessed, but omitted to talk about the way Hallucination-Loki had managed to get him to use magic.

"Oh, Billy." Kate whispered, touching his face softly. But he saw the fear in her eyes, and that made him sick. Sick because it was becoming real. Chaos Magic was definitely attacking his brain. They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Stephen entered.

"Your family is here." He announced, and they all made way towards the impressively big living room. The walls were covered with bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling, leaving just a few empty spaces for portraits and paintings. At the end of the room stood a huge fireplace surrounded by couches and armchairs. The Kaplans were sitting there, waiting patiently and William instantly went to them, feeling exhausted and tears swelling in his eyes.

"Billy!" His mother said as she put down her cup of tea, getting up with her husband. They pulled their son in a bone crushing hug. William tried hard to not start crying, and shut his eyes tight.

"We will give you some privacy." Stephen said with a smile. But his former apprentice shook his head. When he had opened his eyes, Jackson was now standing next to the fireplace, mouthing "tick tock" at the young man with an ugly sneer on his mouth.

"You can stay." It came out a bit too pleading, but he did not care. Jeff and Rebecca let him go, but their hands lingered on his shoulders and forearms. Jackson let out a giggle and crossed his arms. Stephen nodded and motioned towards the couch. He sat down in an armchair, as Kate took place in the one next to his. Josh and Ben made some space between them so their big brother could sit down, and their parents sat in the couch at their right. Josh attempted to grab at his brother, but Rebecca made a disapproving noise.

"Hands, Josh." Jeff told his son, which made William frown and look at the young man.

"Why hands?" He asked, looking at his parents who sighed.

"Ah yeah. Josh and Ben are mutants as well." Jeff replied. "We ran tests, an discovered that your mother and I have the gene."

"Of course!" Stephen intervened, and they all looked at him. "And I suspect one of you has Romani heritage as well?"

"I do actually." Rebecca said confusedly. "Why are you asking?"

"When I realized who your son was, I did some research, and came to the conclusion that his soul, as well as Tommy's, went to reincarnate to babies that had the same, or at least a very similar set of genetics than their previous incarnations. It adds up perfectly actually."

"That still doesn't explain why Josh has to watch his hands." William remarked, looking at his little brothers with interest. He ignored Jackson that was faking a yawn.

"I can blow up things." Josh shrugged as if it was nothing. "That's why I gotta be careful with my hands." William smiled.

"Boriiiiiing!" Jackson declared, rolling his eyes.

"We still don't know what Ben is capable of." Rebecca continued. "He's strong. And fast. And he heals quickly." She said, and Ben blushed, looking down shyly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The young mage asked, a bit disappointed. "I could have helped."

"You already had so much on your plate... We didn't want to worry you" Rebecca replied.

"Anything else I need to know?" William asked with a tired smile, and felt concern when he saw his parents exchange looks. "What? Is something wrong?" He demanded, alarmed.

"It's not wrong, per say..." Jeff said, and removed his glasses to wipe them with his shirt. Rebecca kept silent, as her eldest looked at her and her husband with insistence.

"What is it?!" William urged, and his parents looked at each other again. Rebecca squeezed her Jeff's hand.

"We saw Teddy." She announced, and William groaned unhappily. "We talked to him, and Billy, he really regrets what he has done." Rebecca insisted, moving to kneel in front of her son who was shaking in anger.

"Good for him." The young mage retorted, refusing to look at his mother. Teddy regretted. That simple thought made his heart break. Each one of his old wounds started bleeding again.

"Ah, yeah. Teddy. I was wondering when he was going to pop up in this nice family chat." Jackson whispered in William's ear from behind. "Too bad I'm in the picture now, uh? Or are you willing to break my heart to get back with the one that broke yours?" His voice made shivers run down the young mage's spine.

"Exactly." Josh backed his brother. "Billy is better off him. We're all better off him." The cold stare Rebecca shot at her second son made him go silent with a little grimace. She then turned her eyes back on William.

"Listen, I'm not saying you should get back together. What I'm saying is that the two of you should have a talk. He loves you."

It felt like a bomb had been dropped on his head and heavy sobs came out of him. William put his fists in front of his eyes in a failed attempt to push the tears back in.

"Why are you crying? Is it because Teddy loves you? Or is it because you love him as well and you know your time is almost up?" Jackson asked meanly, still whispering into the young man's ear.

"I don't want him to love me!" William retorted, talking both to his mother and the hallucination. It hurt too much, as if it was salt that was running through his veins. "I can't. We will never know if he is real or not. That's not fair to him. I refuse to be with a golem whose sole purpose is to love me. I'll always hold him back. I don't want him to love me!" He protested.

"Careful what you wish for, Billy." Jackson taunted, and then he was gone.

"Still. I think you should talk. Consider it, Billy. We only want your happiness." Rebecca said before kissing her son's forehead.

They called it a night after that, and Stephen assured the Kaplans they would be welcome whenever they wanted to visit. But before his parents could leave, William grabbed his dad's arm. Jeff looked at his son confusly and took his hand.

"What is it, Son?" He asked. William looked down, unable to ask what he wanted to ask his dad.

"I... Can you tell me a Norse myth? I wanna go to bed." He mumbled with shame, and felt his heart break when he saw tears well up in his father's eyes. Jeff swallowed thickly and pulled him in a tight embrace.

"Sure. Let's go." He agreed, voice thick with emotion, as Rebecca turned around so that no one could see her cry.

***

Chaos Magic learned fast. Instead of plaguing William with impossible visions, it started showing him things that could happen. It had started with Strange. William had sat with his former mentor for a few hours, talking about one thing and another, before the actual Sorcerer Supreme invited himself into his room to check on the young man. Stephen had made William promise to tell him every time he saw something, even if he knew he could not make it stop.

It happened again when Jackson came to visit him. They were chatting awkwardly, pressed together on a couch when Kate had interrupted them with some lewd comment that made her best friend chastise her. Jackson had gone very pale and had asked William who he was talking to. He had grown a bit distant after that, even after William had told him about the tell.

Because Chaos Magic had a tell. William had noticed it was obsessed with time. It could not help but remind the young mage his time was almost up, in a sadistic form of mental torture. Knowing about the tell did not stop him from not sleeping soundly at night.

He was curled up on himself, shaking violently after the nightmare he just had. He was made of galaxies, and as he saw himself get closer he had lunged and torn his own face off before wearing it as a mask.

"I am not a tool you chose to use, Billy. It's the other way around." His galaxy self declared, standing in a corner of the room. His own torn off face was still hanging on the hallucination, and bile rose into his throat, making him choke. "Tick tock." The galaxy body jumped towards him, making him scream with terror, but as its hand almost touched his face, it was gone.

It kept going on like that, each day worse than the previous one. William's depression and anxiety got worse as Chaos Magic slowly made him lose sense of what was real or not. He lost a lot of weight, and his skin was now too pale to look healthy.

The only thing that managed to put a smile on his face was his father telling him stories from the Norse mythology every time he went to bed . Even if the hallucinations tried to ruin these small moments, Jeff always held his son's hand fiercely and always got to the end of the stories, grounding William and staying by his side until he was asleep.

Jackson came back at some point, apologizing, and asked the young mage to go out with him someday to lift his spirits, but William refused, saying it was only safe fro everyone if he stayed under Stephen's watch. It was a lie. He was already bleeding magic.

It had happened two days before Jackson came back to visit him. When he got up that day, weak on his feet, he had made way to the living room of the Sanctum Sanctorum after a quick shower. Stephen was sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace, talking quietly with Teddy who seemed very displeased. But as the young mage padded into the room, the frown disappeared from the shape shifter's brow and his blue eyes softened.

William felt his heart skip a beat, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. Teddy was twenty six now. He was a grown man, but he still looked at William like he did when they were sixteen and fumbling with their newborn affection. It was the first time the mage actually looked at the shape shifter since he came back. It all came back to him. His hair that were always falling into his eyes were now way shorter on his forehead. Teddy always kept himself clean shaven before, but he was sporting a five o'clock shadow that day. And even in the casual sweatshirt and jeans he had on him, he looked good. But some little details made William want to run away. The way Teddy was fiddling with his fingers, like he always did when he felt nervous, the fact that he had left his shoelaces untied, because he never quite mastered the amount of strength to keep them tight enough to last a day, even if he pretended he did it to gain time. And the collection of rings that were adorning his ears once again, catching the dim light of the chandelier above their heads. The only changes he had gone through were physical. Teddy had stayed the same. What more proof did William need? Teddy was still perfect for him. Too perfect. A real dream come true.

The young mage sat down on the only vacant armchair, unable to look at Teddy anymore.

"Jesus Bil... William. You look awful." The shape shifter mumbled in a sad tone. William did not have the strength to comment on his poor choice of conversation starter. He did not have the strength to snark back either. And Teddy calling him William... Well. It hurt like hell actually.

"I know." He simply replied.

"Finally up?" Kate asked, entering the room, making William tense on his seat as he remarked neither Stephen nor Teddy reacted to the young woman. Or was she her that was not reacting to Stephen and Teddy? "Billy, are you okay?" Kate muttered, kneeling in front of her best friend's seat.

"William?" Stephen called, suddenly tense. William was looking at a spot in front of him, but before he could say or do anything, Teddy was already next to the young man and grabbed his hand.

"Hey. Whatever you're seeing, it's not real. Stephen and I are here. I'm holding your hand."

But his voice was covered by Kate's cackle. She got up and took a step back, her eyes wide and crazy. And, in another fit of giggle she started sing-songing.

"Tick tock Billy, tick tock Billy, tick tock Billy, tick tock Billy..."

"STOP!!!" The young mage exploded. And he got what he wanted. Time stopped in a wave of blue light, and Kate was gone.

Nobody suffered from this sudden time spell. but William kept silent as much as he could since then. But if he could hold his tongue, his mind was another thing. He teleported Stephen to another room after thinking he wanted to be left alone. He lit his bed on fire after feeling cold one night. He made blood rain in his room during a nightmare.

He started to get used to this as the end of the month drew near. The only thing that was real for sure was his family. Stephen had decided to only allow the Kaplans in the Sanctum Sanctorum after the time spell accident, because, somehow, William kept his magic on a leash better when he was around his family. Kate had screamed and banged at the illusion of the main door when Stephen had removed her from the guest list, and William had fallen on his knees with her as she cried, her fists pressed against nothing, wanting to reach out to her, but Stephen had closed the actual door. His excuses and explanations turned into nonsense for William, who simply balled up and sat in the entryway, looking at the closed door, tears falling from his eyes. It rained for hours after that. Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Teddy did not protest when Stephen told him to stop visiting. He cried, and just asked for a favor.

"I wanted to tell him so many things... But I can't. Let me just write a letter and mail it to him. I need him to know that I love him."

William never knew what the Sorcerer Supreme replied. He made the lights of the entire mansion explode, and the power went down in the whole block before he passed out.

If Jackson never came back, he sent flowers to William, having probably heard of his condition. The young man did not find it in his heart to throw them away, and he watched them wilt slowly as the days went by, like he watched his sanity slip away.

  


*****NEW YORK, THREE HOURS BEFORE PRESENT DAY*****

A week. It had been a week since he had sent the letter. Teddy's head was pounding from the lack of sleep. He had been staying at Tony's since the big fight with the Avengers, and the older man had helped him in finding a small apartment that was located in the Village, and that both annoyed and enchanted Teddy, but he had fallen in love with the red brick building with the emergency staircase hanging on the front side.

He still refused to talk to his teammates, only accepting solo missions. According to Fury, he was a better spy than Black Widow, his shape shifting powers being so useful for that kind of work. But he did not care. Billy was lost for good. Nothing mattered anymore. The young man walked inside the HQ towards Fury's office. He saw Jackson at some point, and he looked as bad as the shape shifter. He kept walking.

"Teddy?" A little voice called him and he turned around, face blank. Natasha was walking in his direction, hesitant. "Hum... Did you get any news?" She asked, her voice tense.

"Yes." The young man simply answered, and went back on his way. The trained assassin bit her lips and followed him. He ignored her as she fought to keep up the pace. Until she grabbed his arm firmly and pulled him back.

"Come on! Talk to me!" Natasha groaned, and Teddy batted her hand away with anger.

"The thing is I don't want to, Natasha." He declared coldly. "Go play with your friends. There must surely be someone else on the team that can go crazy if they over use their powers." And he left her here. He gave his report to Fury, who stayed silent. His nose was still healing, and the bruise on his cheek had taken a horrible shade of yellow. Teddy did not care. Punching Fury repeatedly had felt good. But the man still had not apologized for what he had done to Billy. After he finished dumping the information the one eyed man needed, he got out without saying goodbye.

The young shape shifter flew back to his apartment, using the night sky to cover himself from prying eyes. He got inside his place through the window, and froze when he saw people sitting in his living room. Kate looked fierce, her grey blue eyes bright and her jaw tight. She was dressed in clothes that screamed business, a dark purple blouse tucked inside a high waisted grey pencil skirt. Teddy's heart skipped a beat when he saw who was sitting in the opposite couch.

Eli Bradley was already rather muscly before he retired from their team, but he had become even more muscular, his biceps were bulging as he kept his arms crossed, pulling the short sleeves of his light blue button down tight around his shoulders. The young super soldier had stopped shaving his head completely, and kept his curly hair short, parted on the side. Despite his frown, he looked less severe than before, and he cocked a displeased eyebrow at Teddy, as if he had just trespassed even if they were the ones who had shown up uninvited in the shape shifter's apartment.

But what almost made Teddy's legs give up in shock was the young woman sitting next to Eli. Cassie was keeping her hands folded in her lap, a shy smile on her face. Blonde with bright turquoise eyes, round and rosy cheeks, just like Teddy remembered her. She had styled her hair in a side french braid, and a few loose curls were framing her face. The young man opened his mouth to say something when a large star shaped window appeared in the middle of Teddy's living room before shattering like glass. Two forms emerged from the star portal. A tall young man with white hair styled in a pompadour and a young woman with dark brown curly hair, her clothes patterned after the Stars and Stripes Flag.

"I got the space cow-boy." America announced, patting Noh-Varr's shoulder a bit roughly. Teddy was completely dumbfounded.

"Okay, what's going on here? And Cassie? You're..." He asked, looking at his former teammates.

"Alive. Yes. Thanks to Doom." She interrupted him. "I know. It's weird. But all you need to know is that I'm alive, sane, and that I still have my powers." She added, and just as the shape shifter was about to ask another question, Kate got up and shot a brief look at the others.

"We're going on a mission. We're going to save Billy." Teddy gaped, looking at all of them, and, hating himself for that, he let himself thought they were all stupid. He was still in shock of seeing all of them in his apartment. The young man shook his head.

"Oh yeah? I'm curious to hear that." He grumbled. "Last time I checked, Billy was already bleeding magic, and Strange was pretty clear. Magic is devouring Billy's brain. It's irreversible. I don't want any false hopes." He stated, looking up and down the archer.

Kate got into Teddy's face and pointed a finger at him. Her cheeks were bright red, and she had murder in her eyes.

"You keep your patronizing tone for yourself, Altman. I lost my best friend because of you. Wanna stick your head in the sand once more? Fine by me. But this is your chance to make up for all the fuckery you put him through. I won't ask again, so it's either you come with us and you help us, or you stay here. But I'm warning you. You stay here, and I make sure you never see him again." Teddy's eyebrows shot up on his forehead.

"I beg your pardon?" He growled in anger.

"You heard me. You've already caused enough damage as it is. But somehow, Billy is ready to forgive and forget. I won't stand in the way if you prove yourself. But if you refuse to fight to get him back to normal with us, I'll tell him how you cowered once more. Don't test me, Teddy. I'm not in the mood to fuck around." Kate snapped. Teddy muffled his anger and exhaled through his nose.

"How do you know it's even possible to save him?" He asked, his harsh tone making Kate squint.

"America?" She called, and the other young woman stepped forward.

"Billy is the one that creates my world in the future, and I get my powers from his magic. My world is still there, and I still have my powers. Which means there's still a chance." She told them.

"Billy is not losing his powers. He's losing his mind." Teddy protested.

"You didn't let me finish, Hulkling." America said flatly. "When he ascends, Billy is sane. There's no mention of him being crazy in Utopia's history books. And my world is too perfect. There is absolutely no reason as to why this information would have been concealed from us." Teddy bit his lips, studying her with suspicion. But what he dreaded was already happening. There was hope for Billy. He looked around the living room, where almost all of his former friends were standing. He knew he was going to regret this, but he made his choice.

"Okay. Okay. But first..." He mumbled, walking towards Cassie and pulling her into a tight hug. "Don't do that again." He whispered in her ear. He heard her choke a bit, as she fought to contain her emotion.

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon." She promised. The newly reformed Young Avengers all fell in a group hug.

"Okay guys. We've got an angsty Chaos Magic User to save." Noh-Varr declared after a few minutes, and they all agreed, pulling back and sitting down as they started to discuss of a plan.

***

"You can't leave." William pleaded, his hands tight around Stephen's cloak. "Don't leave me." He then froze, suspicious. "Or are you not leaving? Am I hallucinating? Oh God..." He let go of the Cloak of Levitation, eyes wide and grabbed two fistful of hair. The lights started flickering around him.

"William, listen to me." Stephen said softly, grabbing his former student by the shoulders. "I am just going to be absent for a few hours. It is really me. Here, look." The sorcerer grabbed the young man's hand and placed it on his chest. "My heart is beating. My body is warm." That seemed to calm the young mage for a second. "I am going to give Wanda her powers back, and we will come back here. In the mean time, Wong is going to take care of you. Your father is going to be here in an hour or two. Stay in your bed, and everything will be okay."

William let out a little pleading sound as the Demiurge cracked a smile on the other side of his bedroom. He could not spend a day without seeing his galaxy self and his horrible mask lurking about. Wong had a very serious expression on his face. He did his best not to show it, but William scared him. He had moved in a week before, after William's magic had opened a black hole in the living room of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Stephen had had trouble with containing the spell on his own this time, and had called his old friend to come assist him in taking care of William. He had also talked to Wanda, who had agreed to come lend him a hand after they managed to transfer the Life Force back into her. The Scarlet Witch had been cold though, and Stephen had been forced to refrain himself from letting his fury take over. Of all the time Wanda had visited, she had made sure to never cross her soul son once. Her motives were mysterious, even to Stephen who had tried to read her mind with the Eye of Agamotto, but the witch had strong wards protecting her.

To say the Sorcerer Supreme was disappointed was an understatement. He wanted to let her handle their mission herself out of spite, but he had made a promise. So he tried hard to put aside his disgust, and was already thinking of a way to force Wanda to face the situation with her twins.

"Stephen. The Demiurge is here. He's gonna hurt me if you leave. Stay. Please." William begged, and tensed when his galaxy self started laughing manically. "He's laughing! Oh my God, please!" The young man cried, trying to jump out of his bed. Wong reacted quickly, moving his hands and letting out a strings of strange words. The sheets flared up from the bed and restrained the young man.

"Go, Stephen. I'll take care of young William." Wong promised with his gentle voice. He saw the sorcerer hesitate. "He's safe with me. Go." William let out wail that made the two magic users wince.

"Tick tock, dear Billy. Tick tock." The Demiurge said before disappearing. William started shaking, eyes rolling madly in their socket. Wong's hands started drawing more mystic gestures, and the young man fell back limply on the bed, fast asleep.

"I'll wake him up once Mister Kaplan gets here. Go Stephen." The old sorcerer said. Stephen nodded regretfully and, moving his hands, he created a portal in the room.

"It will just take a few hours." He promised, trying to muffle the sudden dread he was feeling. He took a step towards the portal, and as he crossed it, he looked back. "Be strong Billy. It will be over soon."

***

"Strange left. I repeat, Strange left." Jackson whispered into his phone, looking around to make sure nobody was present in the computer room of the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. He knew hiding a camera and a mic in the flowers he had sent to William had been a good idea. If they wanted to act, it was now or never.

"We just have to get him out of the Sanctum Sanctorum." David's voice decided through the speaker. "You bring your gun, it'll be quick." He sounded too excited, and Jackson did not like it.

"I think we'll have to wait until he wakes up. He never attempted to flee, but Strange was not absent then. Let him have another breakdown. I'm sure he'll get out of the mansion himself. I saw him check his window once while he was having an episode."

"Fine. But I'm going there now. You could lure him out maybe?"

"If it gets to that yes." Jackson decided.

"One way or another, Kaplan dies tonight." David decided. Jackson closed his laptop and gathered his belongings before leaving the room.

***

William woke up with sparks cascading out of his body. His magic was fighting Wong's Sleeping Curse and successfully canceled it. The young man looked around, his hair curling and sticking to his skin because of the sweat that was pouring on his skin. He whined when he spotted the demiurge across the room.

"Now, Billy. Time's up." His galaxy self said and rose a hand. William panicked. He screamed and threw is hands forward, disintegrating the hallucination and a large part of the wall behind it. He started shaking, taking a step forward as his skin still erupted like fireworks. He jumped and screamed when the Demiurge faded back into reality.

"Really? You think you can destroy me? With your poor magic? You use magic, Billy. But I am magic!" His galaxy self roared. The walls started shaking and William retreated in the opposite corner just as Wong walked through the hole in the wall, a panicked expression on his face.

"William!" He shouted and rose his hands. The young man let out an another cry and Wong made a choked noise as a cocoon of blue light surrounded him and slammed him into the wall repeatedly until he went limp. The Demiurge transported himself behind the young man in a blink.

"Wrong call, Billy." He growled and lunged at the young man, taking a hold of his face. His hands were cold, so cold. William screamed, making a wild gesture of his hands. The ceiling cracked and rubble fell right on the galaxy being, deflected from William who crawled backwards before he ran for it.

He rushed through the mansion, barefoot and covered in dust, his shirt torn and leaving a trail of sparks behind him. He made it to the staircase before he saw the Demiurge flying behind him.

"Oh God, no!" He whimpered, before jumping over the banister and flew down to the main door. He screamed in terror when he tried to open it and failed. It was locked. And the Demiurge was on his heels. William lost all sense of discernment. The young mage slammed his hands flat against the wood and blew it away.

He ran into the street, the night air feeling cold against his sweaty skin, ignoring the people that looked at him with shock and fear. He could not see the Demiurge anymore, but he moved forward. The young man did not know how far he got as he slipped in an alley, out of breath. He sat down next to a dumpster, his heart beating too hard.

"You can't run away from me." Jackson said, appearing out of the shadows. His smile was mean and smug. "Tick tock Billy."

William jumped back to his feet and started backing away, raising his hands, palms throwing sparks everywhere. Jackson froze, his eyes dropping to the young man's hands. William frowned. Why would the hallucination hesitate? He realized he was being stupid and took another step back. He barely had the time to feel the hand on his neck when the worst pain he had ever felt seized his body. It felt like his very life was vacuumed out of his body, drying him out. He was about to lose consciousness when something pushed him forward violently, making him collide with the wall. His head was spinning as he struggled to stay awake.

"Ugh... Is this really how you feel? All the time?" A familiar deep and raspy voice said, and William looked up painfully.

"D... David?" He slurred. Stars were dancing before his eyes. The ex mutant licked his lips. "Wh... Whass... What's happening?" William tried to form the words, but his tongue felt heavy, his mouth numb, just like every part of his body. He suddenly remembered his hallucination and turned his head towards Jackson who was standing very still. "Oh... He's... The hallucination..."

"What hallucination, Will?" Jackson asked. "Can't tell that I'm actually here?" He chuckled. He looked different. He was no more the blushing and charming agent. He held himself differently, and even his expression was not the same. He was more squinty, and kept his lips in a thin line. The young mage was confused.

"Wha... But you said tick tock..." William whispered, trying to make sense of all of this.

"The thing is, you're so naive, Will." Jackson declared, kneeling in front of the young man, who stiffened. The side of his face felt wet and warm, and a red spot was growing around his neck. "But then again, I played my part well." He got back up and took a step back. "You see David here? He has a vendetta against your family. And I have a vendetta against people like you. Super Heroes." He said in a disgusted tone. "You took my mother away from me because you just can't stand down. So my father and I swore we would destroy you all."

"And I promised myself I would get revenge for what the Scarlet Witch did to me." David intervened. "And what better way is there than taking what she holds dear from her? You. Her son."

William was feeling sick. His whole body hurt and he felt too weak to move. He probably had a concussion from the collision with the wall.

"It can't be real..." He mumbled. Pain suddenly peaked and he doubled over.

"Oh it's very much real, Billy." David growled, and grabbed the young man, forcing him to stand. William pushed him away and slumped against to dumpster to keep balance. "Look at you. Billy Kaplan, Chaos Magic user, Sorcerer Supreme in training and Demiurge. Barely able to stand, filthy to the tip of your finger. I didn't think you could be even more pathetic than you already were. But don't worry. I'll put you out of your misery. What were the words already? You know? When your dear mommy erased almost an entire race? Oh right. Let's see if it works like this." David growled and lifted his hands in William's direction. And the words echoed, full of power as he spoke them. _"No more magic!"_

If being touched by David had hurt the young man, what happened next was worse. William screamed in agony as his eyes flashed blue, and he felt his magic being ripped from his soul, blood, mind and cells, leaving him raw and bloody, falling down and curling up on himself. Tears were pouring out of his eyes as he screamed until his voice broke. David took a step back, suddenly feeling weak and he put a hand on the wall. Jackson walked towards him, but the ex mutant stopped him.

"No! The gun! Shoot him! Shoot him now!" David croaked, confused as to why he was feeling so drained all of the sudden, and Jackson nodded, taken aback. He put a hand on his waist and drew the gun out.

"NO!" A man roared and lunged inside the street, tackling the young man. Jeff Kaplan punched Jackson weakly and tried to grab at the gun, wrestling with the agent on the ground of the alley as William slowly regained composure, his head swimming.

"Dad..." He whimpered, surprise flooding him.

Jeff Kaplan had arrived way after his son had almost blown the Sanctum Sanctorum apart. He had found Wong in the rubble, and the old magician had cast a quick locator spell on Jeff's watch, turning it into a compass that would lead him to his son before falling back to unconsciousness. And now here he was, trying to hold off a man that was stronger than him to save his son.

"Billy! Get out of here!" Jeff groaned, and choked when Jackson sent his knee in his stomach.

"Dad!" William whimpered, just as Jackson got a hold of the gun and pushed the older man away. The agent removed the safety lock of the firearm, and the click thundered to the young mage's ears as everything went slow all of the sudden. He saw his father get up and run, run with tears of panic streaming down his face, each of his steps producing an echo against the walls of the alley. He got in between the gun and William with his arms outstretched just as Jackson pulled the trigger.

Something warm hit William's face. He put a trembling hand against his cheek and pulled it back full of blood. He looked up and saw the shocked expression on Jackson's face. And then the growing red spot on his father's shirt.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!! NO!!! DAD!!!"

Was it his voice? He did not know anymore. He did not know how he got to his father, how he managed to get his head in his lap as he pressed his hands against the wound. It was ugly. Blood was pouring everywhere.

"I only had a bullet! We need to leave, David!"

Jeff's lips were purple. William heard someone running away. He pressed his hands harder against the wound.

"C... Co... Cold..." His father choked out. The shock cloud that was fogging William's brain disappeared and he whimpered.

"Oh God! Oh God! Dad hold on! Please hold on! I'm gonna heal you. I promise." He babbled, tears streaming down his face. He focused and tried to cast a spell. It was not working. "Oh please..." William started mumbling, moving his hands in a healing spell, but it failed again. "Come on!" He shrieked, crying so much he could not see anything. "I want you to heal! Please! IWANTYOUTOHEAL IWANTYOUTOHEAL IWANTYOUTOHEAL..." He kept chanting until he felt his father grab his hand. He stopped and looked down at the older man's face. He was smiling sadly and with a last fit of energy, he squeezed his son's hand.

"P... Proud. So proud..."

His head rolled back, and his eyes went glassy. William felt ice spread through his veins.

  


*****NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY*****

Manhattan. Jeff Kaplan dies in the arms of his son. Wong finds them not long after and calls for help. The three of them are taken to Stark's place.

Manhattan. The medias are everywhere around the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters as the agents and Fury come out and are put under arrest.

The Village. Kate Bishop receives a text from Clint Barton that has her turning ashen. "Billy's father is dead." She mutters, and everyone goes quiet around the table. Teddy gets to Stark's place an hour after.

The Queens. Tommy Shepherd holds Kate against him as she announces the news. The young man does not know why, but he starts crying as soon as the words leave her mouth.

New York City. Each and every criminal arrested by the Avengers suddenly get their powers back, and the people that were enhanced thanks to the Super MGH cocktail regain their abilities.

The world. As William Kaplan loses his powers, magic does not exist for a few seconds. Ex mutants start manifesting abilities they had lost years ago after the Scarlet Witch's curse.

The Multiverse. As William Kaplan loses his powers, magic users from every dimensions lose them as well. It lasts a few seconds before they are able to cast spells again.

Manhattan. As the sun rises, William Kaplan wishes he was dead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since my last update, and I would understand if you were all angry at me. Life got in the way, and I spent those last few months having to sort many things out, and these things were really unpleasant. I live at my parents, and we received a notice that asked us to move out of our house. We managed to keep the house somehow, but we got really close to being homeless. It was that, plus many other serious things that added up. Trouble at work, trouble in my personal life, trouble with my family, just trouble in general. It sucks, and I'm sorry I kept you all waiting.
> 
> This chapter was supposed to take a different direction, but thanks to a lovely person that provided good pieces of advice and some input, I decided to take another path. So a big thank you to Smiledesu, because their help meant the world to me.
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Laura, my beta, who waited, and waited, and waited without complaining as I was struggling with life. And who did not even bat an eyelash to beta read this chapter even though the last one was in October. She really does a tremendous work, and is a real angel <3\. I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to every single one of you who stuck with me, and put up with me being awful to Billy and Teddy, and the Marvel world in general. Now, I also have two people to mention. Kleos, this chapter is also for you. I saw you updated your fic, and I'm going to read it soon. You're a real source of inspiration and I hope I'll write as good as you do someday. And finally, Angstywitch. You're one of my first readers ever, and you put a comment on every chapter since chapter three. So thank you for that. I hope you'll forgive me for what I did in the previous one.
> 
> And as always, a big thank you to Lisa, my best friend. I probably broke her inbox with all the drafts I sent so I could have a copy of this chapter. I love her <3
> 
> So without further ado, chapter 7. I hope you will like it

**SOMEWHERE IN THE MULTIVERSE**

Hawkeye was crouching at the top of a building, her eyes never leaving the group that was coming out of the new headquarters of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Breathing steadily, she drew the string of her bow towards her ear, her arrow aimed to the middle of the group. She counted twelve. Twelve agents.

In other words, easy. She just needed an order. She squinted as they gathered around Lloyd Casey, the man that had caused it all. Licking her lips, she focused on his face, delighted that she could see him but he could not see her. Delighted to know what was going to happen while he didn't.

Ten years. It had been ten years since Jackson Casey had killed Billy's dad. Ten years since they had fled from New York to find somewhere to hide. Ten years since the S.H.I.E.L.D had been taken over by Lloyd Casey and changed it in super hero hunting agency. Ten years since the arrest and condemnation of most of the Avengers.

Xavier. Banner. Grey. Rogue. Wanda.

But most importantly, Tommy.

Kate counted the names in her head. They would have to break them all out, and destroy the headquarters. But first, get rid of the agents, as soon as Lloyd Casey stepped into the car that was waiting for him in front of the building doors. But the man did not seem in a hurry as he talked to his men.

"Not yet." A voice echoed, making her body size up with surprise, almost making her yelp.

"Shit! Billy, I told you not to do that!" She growled as low as she could. "I hate it when you create a mental link without warning me first."

"Just think the words, Kate. We can see you move your lips, but we can't hear you." Her best friend's voice mocked her gently inside her head.

"Right, right." She thought grimly. Since Billy had mastered the mental link spell, he enjoyed taking her by surprise with telepathic messages, the dirty little asshole.

"You know I heard that, right?"

"Shut up, Kaplan. I'm trying to focus here."

"By the way, I'm still not so sure about this." Eli's voice declared, and Kate lifted her eyes to the top of the building of the S.H.I.E.L.D where Eli was crouching. She could not see him, but she knew he was there.

"You're never sure." Cassie's voice replied severely. "You've been unsure for ten years, Cap. We all know the score now."

"Oh, shut it Ant-Wasp." Eli retorted.

"It's Stinger, Captain Almost." Kate heard a flutter of wings, rolling her eyes as Cassie flew by her ear, as small as a bee before she landed on the tip of her arrow.

"So are we here to argue, or what?" Teddy's voice intervened, cutting Eli short as he attempted to reply. "I don't know if you remember, but Tommy is in there. Last time I checked, we were here to break him out. Well, him and the others. And seriously? We're mocking each other's names now?" He groaned.

"Sorry... Your Majesty." Cassie replied, making each of her teammates laugh. To Kate's surprise, Billy laughed as well. She smirked and looked down again. Lloyd Casey was still there, along with the twelve agents. She muffled the irritation that was starting to grow inside her. Was he leaving or not?

"You've been dying to make that one, isn't it?" Teddy sneered. Kate huffed, amused. Ever since Teddy came back from his trip in space where he stopped the conflict between his two homeworlds, got crowned by both the Krees and the Skrulls, the team did not miss a single occasion to remind him that he was royalty, much to the shape shifter's annoyance. However, none of them never called him 'your majesty'. It was a sore subject, and they all knew it, which is why they decided to turn it into a joke. Because as soon as Teddy would be done with every unfinished business on earth, he would have to go back. Kl'rt and Av-Rom would make sure of that. If Billy had been devastated by the news, he had not spoken about it. More like rejected the idea, Kate thought, tensing up as Lloyd Casey climbed inside the car.

"He's leaving." She announced through their mental link.

"Finally." Billy's voice rumbled low.

The car drove away. Kate waited a full minute after it was out of view to press the button at the back of her arrow. A violet light blinked at the tip and Kate took a deep breath. She eyed Cassie, who was still crouching on the tip.

"Make sure your helmet is fully closed." The archer reminded her friend. Her tone had changed to the one of a professional. "And take out every agent that attempt to resist."

"Got it." Cassie confirmed, pressing her fingertips to her right temple. A pane of tinted glass covered her nose and mouth and she held tight to the tip of the arrow. Kate exhaled, and shot. Cassie launched herself up as the arrow collided with the concrete in the middle of the group of agents and exploded in an opaque fog. Cassie grew to her usual size, pressed her fingertips to her other temple to switch her lenses to thermovision and knocked three of the men out before they could understand what was happening. The others attempted to get out of the fog but the sedative smoke quickly took them out.

Cassie shrank again and flew upwards. She waited until she was at eye level with Kate before nodding and flying towards Eli. Kate shot another arrow towards the first floor of the building, this time with a cable and she slid down, landing soundlessly in front of the main doors, holding her breath to make sure she would not fall asleep as well.

"Stinger, Captain, how's it going up there?" She asked without opening her mouth. She grabbed another arrow and planted the tip in the glass door as an impressive number of agents came rushing to the front door.

"We broke the door!" Cassie announced, her tone urgent.

"Now would be a good time to blow the main entry up!" Eli ranted. Kate smirked at the agents, who stopped when they saw her, the archer blew a kiss in their direction and pushed the button at the back of her arrow before running across the street to jump behind a dumpster.

"Three. Two. One!!"

Kate balled up and protected her ears with her hands. The arrow exploded, shattering the glass doors. That was Teddy's cue. He flew down from the invisibility field Billy had created just above the street and swept Kate up before whooshing past the burning remains of the entry.

Hulkling landed in the middle of the rubble, and grabbed the sword strapped to his back. He then launched forward and attacked the agents that were getting up. Kate was way ahead of him, shooting arrows and clubbing the agents with her bow. The shape shifter punched a man in the face, knocking him out before jumping in the middle of a group that had managed to form despite the ambient confusion. He punched and slashed, aware that he and Kate had to finish this quickly. He grabbed the last agent by the throat and looked on the other side of the hall. Kate promptly kicked her opponent in the jaw and the woman fell down, unconscious.

"Billy, we're in." Teddy declared, before slamming the agent into the wall.

***

"Got it." Billy whispered, and rose his hands. He started chanting, his fingers bending in a sequence of magical gestures, and, as he closed his fists, a huge chunk of the wall dissolved into a puddle. He took a step forward.

"Perfect circle. Nice." Loki commented appreciatively as he entered after him through the door the mage had just created. Billy rolled his eyes and turned around, Loki looked away from the hole, straight at Billy. "What?"

"Just so we're clear, I brought you here because you know how to bypass the Asgardian security systems. You're not part of the team..."

"Which is why you refused to link me with everybody else..." Loki interrupted with a grin.

"And we're done as soon as we get my brother and the others out. I don't want to see you again after that." Billy continued, as if Loki had not opened his mouth.

"What? You're still bitter that I 'revealed' what you did to Teddy? Come on, it was the best for him. And seriously? Who helped you get your powers back when David took them away?" Loki protested. Billy huffed.

"Yeah, it took four years." He mocked, ignoring the god's comment about Teddy and the pang of pain that resulted. "And a Decay curse that left a mark on my head and a bad case of osteoporosis in my skull. And during these four years, I lost my brothers, my mother, the Avengers got killed, and the S.H.I.E.L.D turned into a super hero hunting agency. I wouldn't brag about it if I were you." He then proceeded further inside, pulling his hood up and making a gesture in front of him, triggering the invisibility charm he had placed in the fabric of the cloak. Loki grimaced and could not hold back the shocked gasp that escaped his mouth.

"You charmed the Cloak of Levitation?" He let out, revolted.

"Well, it let me do it, didn't it?" Billy's voice replied. "So keep your judgmental remarks to yourself. Let's move." Loki shut his mouth and turned himself invisible as well.

A few minutes after, they both entered the prison quarter. Billy pulled the hood from his head and walked towards the first door. He looked through the small window and saw Jean Grey sitting in a corner, wearing a straightjacket and barefoot, as well as a metallic circle around her head that inhibited her powers. Loki joined Billy and cocked an eyebrow.

"I thought she was..."

"They managed to get a hold of her somehow. Get to work, Loki, we don't have time to digress." Billy pointed out, moving to look at the other cells. Most of them were empty, but he found everyone, even Wanda who was apparently asleep, wearing a straightjacket as well. Tommy, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. He looked inside Bruce Banner's cell and clenched his jaw. The man was sitting on what looked like a dentist chair, his eyes were hooded, and Billy gaped when he saw the size of the tank full of what he assumed was a sedative that was connected to his arm through an IV.

"You know, it'd go faster if you actually used your powers." Loki remarked as he managed to open Jean's cell. Billy snapped out of his shocked state and turned his head towards Loki.

"I won't use Chaos Magic. It messed with my brain once, I won't let it happen again."

"If only you ascended..." Loki sighed, moving to the cell that was holding Rogue. The woman was lying on a table, her head shaved and scalp covered in scars. "Ah, crap." Loki mumbled, as he looked at her glassy eyes.

"I won't ascend. I'm not the one who is the Demiurge. Remember that girl? America? She saw me and declared I was not the one she was looking for." Billy protested. "Don't you think I would have ascended already? With all the fuckery that this dimension is?" He ranted before joining Loki.

"Billy, that's the least of our issues right now. I think Rogue is dead." Loki declared, turning the Asgardian security off, before he stepped inside. Billy frowned and followed him, stopping once they reached the table. Rogue looked so petite. He swallowed thickly around the lump that was forming in his throat. "She's not dead... She's catatonic." Loki realized.

"They only kept her alive for David's serum." Billy grunted, nauseous. He took another look at Rogue's unmoving eyes.

"Didn't David get his powers back ten years ago?" Loki whispered, his voice betraying the disgust he was feeling.

"I guess absorbing knowledge was not enough anymore."

And Billy started pulling the plugs of the machines that were keeping Rogue alive. Bitter tears were swelling in his eyes as he did so. After unplugging the last machine, he made quick gestures with his hands and turned the machines into dust. Loki made a little face, but did not say anything.

"Break them all out. I'm going to search for Tommy." Billy informed Loki. "Meet the others outside. I won't be long."

The determination in Billy's voice scared Loki. He lifted his green eyes to Billy. The god cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"Billy..." He started, but the other man cut him short.

"You wanted chaos, Loki? I'll bring you chaos. Oh, and tell my dear soul-mother that she's a bitch when she wakes up." And Billy disappeared in a flash of blue light.

***

Chaos Magic was a real poison, Billy thought as he roamed the building, invisible. He could feel it crackling all over his skin like furious fireworks. Wild like a beast that had been held in a cage for too long. Which it was, in a sense. The agents that crossed his path crumpled to the floor, and Billy kept marching. It was so easy, he just had to think to make things happen. A grin blossomed on his lips as he followed the string of light that was leading him to Tommy.

He could have teleported right beside his twin brother. But he wanted to take care of the remaining agents first, and avenge all of his former friends. Make the S.H.I.E.L.D suffer like they made the ones in their cell suffer for the past decade or since Demise Day. He thought of Xavier, Jean and Banner, that had been made prisoner right after the anti super hero law had been voted. He would burn this building to the ground.

He finally found his brother a few minutes after. The agents guarding him crumpled to the floor as well, and Billy removed his hood, canceling the invisibility charm. Tommy was strapped to a vibrating chair, a thick beard covering half of his face, and his hair longer than ever. He gasped when he saw Billy, and then a wide smirk spread on his face.

"Hey there, bro. Trying to look like me?" He teased nodding towards the white lock of hair on Billy's forehead.

"Shut up, Tommy. I'm getting you out." Billy simply replied, and looked at the chair, making it vanish with a simple thought. Tommy fell on his butt with a hiss.

"This is so twenty years ago, you breaking me out of jail." Tommy said, getting up and looking at the guards that were lying on the floor, not moving. "What did you do to them?" He asked curiously as he crouched down. They had their eyes open, they were breathing, but were not moving. He grimaced.

"I don't care." Billy stated coldly. Tommy looked at him, an impressed expression painting his features.

"You're going full villain, Kaplan?" He asked, getting up. "I didn't expect that. But I dig it." He commented, starting to walk. Billy huffed.

"Come here. We'll teleport." He commanded. Tommy grimaced and kept walking, shaking his head.

"No offense, Billy, but I'd rather run." He pointed out. "Teleporting makes me sick." Billy appeared in front of his brother with a shit eating grin.

"It's not a proposition." He declared, and teleported both him and Tommy out of the building. They appeared in the street, just as Teddy came out of the building carrying Wanda and Jean in his arms. Kate was right behind him, shooting arrows inside. Then Loki and Cassie jumped out of a first floor window. The god was blasting magic, green tendrils of energy striking agents down before they could shoot at them. A green bubble floated right behind Cassie as she shrank to the size of a bee, holding Bruce Banner safe.

"Billy! Catch!" The mage heard and looked up. Eli jumped off the roof with Xavier on his back. He lifted a hand and caught the two of them in a cloud of blue energy. He then dropped them softly behind him. The agents gathered in front of the building as their little group gathered together.

"We're outnumbered." Cassie announced through the link as she grew to her usual size. Wanda slid down from Hulkling's shoulder, her legs trembling. Jean was still unconscious, and the shape shifter put her down as gently as he could. Loki looked around, grimacing. But Billy did not care. He looked at Wanda with disgust.

"You can walk." He pointed out, and she turned her hazel eyes to him. She stiffened when she saw the look he was throwing at her. "Magic yourself away." He commanded. "And take the professor, Bruce and Jean with you." He added. Everyone looked at him.

"Billy..." Wanda started, but her soul son interrupted her.

"What? Run away! Disappear! You're good at that." He said furiously. "Go!" He shouted as Wanda stayed still. She jumped and with a quick gesture of her hand, she disappeared in a flash of scarlet light. When the light died, Jean, Banner and Xavier were gone as well. The silence that followed was deafening.

"What do we do?" Kate asked, her bow at the ready. The agents facing them were pointing guns at them.

"We're not leaving until this building is destroyed." Billy snarled and rose his hands.

"Oh boy..." Teddy muttered, grabbing the sword on his back.

"We're gonna die." Eli commented, but he had his shield in front of his chest. Cassie started growing, and Loki lifted his hands as well. Tommy smirked and cracked his knuckles, vibrating with excitement. They were about to launch into battle when someone started clapping.

Lloyd Casey stepped out of the darkness, along with his son. A wave of rage filled Billy's chest as he looked at them. Lloyd kept clapping as a satisfied smile spread on his face. He looked at all of them as they got closer together. He licked his lips and laughed.

"I don't know if you realized what you've done." He declared, calmly.

"I saw you leave!" Kate shouted, aiming at the man's head. He shook his head and laughed again.

"No. You saw David leave. A few months ago, we ran into a very interesting mutant. You see, she too, can shapeshift. Our dear Prodigy used his serum and got her power." Lloyd went silent as his revelation hit the team.

"This is why the President accepted to let you turn the S.H.I.E.L.D into that super hero hunting agency?" Cassie cried out, understanding at the same time as the others. "You put her in the White House!"

"Mystique has always been a survivor. But the elections are approaching, and she won't be useful after that." Casey confessed. "I have the feeling I'll be in her place soon."

"Not on my watch!" Billy growled and lifted his hands higher, ready to vaporize the man, but Lloyd Casey grinned.

"Tut tut tut, William. I don't know if you've realized, but by bringing Dorrek and Loki here, you've declared war on Earth. Just like I knew it would happen. Soon, we will come to Asgard and space and destroy your three races. No more so called gods, and aliens to terrorize our world."

"How did you know we would be here tonight?" Teddy asked weakly, dread seizing him in the guts.

"He's a mutant." Billy realized, paling when he saw Lloyd Casey shrug.

"I just have a good intuition. It's not a mutation. It's a gift." The older man brushed the front of his jacket and looked at the agents. They were shifting awkwardly at the revelation. His son was looking at him with dread. "Ah, crap. I'll have to ask David to erase you all." He sighed, because not matter how much he denied it, Lloyd Casey was indeed a mutant. "Anyway. Seize them!" He commanded. None of the agents moved, still in shock after what they learned. Casey sighed heavily. "Okay. Do you need me to repeat? Seize them or I'll make sure Alleyne turns all your brains into goo!" He shouted.

That seemed to strike something into the agents and they all started to shoot. Billy and Loki reacted quickly, a barrier stopped the bullets before any of them got hurt. Tommy instantly started running, disarming every agents. Kate jumped out of the magical bubble and shot a few arrows at the group in front of their team. The agents leaped into the fight. Teddy grabbed his sword and jumped in the middle of the melee, followed by Eli and Cassie.

"Now would be a good time to bring chaos like you promised, Billy!" Loki remarked, as he conjured doubles of himself to fight. He produced a sword out of nowhere and ran into the melee. Billy was about to cast a spell when he saw Lloyd and Jackson Casey running away. He snarled and flew in their directions, hands moving quickly as the incantations tumbled out of his mouth. The concrete cracked, and went liquid before it encased the two fleeing men in a black cocoon. They gasped as Billy landed in front of them, eyes glowing with power.

"Now now. Don't go running on us." He cooed menacingly. "The party just started." He felt Chaos Magic unfurl inside him like a blooming flower. He took one look at the fight a few feet away, and every single agent froze as if time suddenly stopped. "What am I gonna do with you?" He asked, voice low as he studied the two men.

"Mercy..." Jackson choked, and Billy turned his face to look at him. The man's breath hitched. Fear spread inside him as he looked at Billy. They should have killed him that night, he thought with hatred. And now he was begging for his life.

"What was that?" Billy snarled. "Mercy? You're asking for mercy?" He threatened. "Did you have mercy for me, Jackson?" He shouted madly. He then turned to Lloyd, who started laughing.

"If you wanna do something, I suggest you do it now, William." The older man said. Billy huffed furiously as the team ran in their direction. "Who knows what could happen in the next few minutes." The mage rose his hands, thinking of the most lethal spells he knew. He could have killed them on the spot. But he wanted them to feel death coming. So he decided to make their organs melt.

"Billy!" Teddy called loudly, panic in his voice as Billy moved his fingers with dexterity, the incantation rolling off his tongue easily. "Billy, don't!!!" Teddy screamed as Billy completed the spell.

_No more magic!_

It felt like his skull was shattering. The concrete cocoons melted and Lloyd grabbed his son before fleeing the scene. The frozen agents started moving again as Teddy lifted Billy in his arms under a rain of bullets.

"We need to get out of here!" Teddy shouted, as Kate typed something urgently on her phone while Eli protected her with his shield.

"Guys! Loki just fainted!" Cassie called, dread tainting her voice. The agents were running in their direction when a quinjet stopped above them. The door at the back slid open. Teddy put Billy on his shoulder and shifted his arm to two nets.

"Those who can't fly grab these!" He commanded as Eli put Loki over his shoulder. A pair of huge wings grew out of Teddy's back and as soon as Kate, Eli and Tommy were holding his arms, Teddy launched upwards, followed by Cassie. The quinjet left the street as soon as they all came inside. Billy opened his eyes and jumped away from Teddy, looking at his hands with fear.

"What happened back there?" Kate hissed. "What were you going to do? What happened?" She shouted. The others kept their eyes on Billy's back as he moved his hands, but nothing seemed to happen. The young man started shaking as he kept moving his hands more and more quickly, his breath getting ragged.

"Billy?" Loki asked, confused as he woke up.

"My magic is gone..." Billy started, but as soon as he spoke, a little ball of light flew upwards from is palms. Loki frowned, getting up to his feet. He gasped.

"Fuck." The god cursed, and everyone turned to look at him.

"What is happening?" Kate snapped.

"Billy is ascending." Loki declared. The silence that followed his declaration was heavy. "The Billy that is going to become the Demiurge just lost his powers. Which means our Billy will soon ascend."

"What?" Billy asked, confused. He looked around, hoping his friends could explain. Loki made a face.

"There's only one Demiurge across the dimension. But as soon as he ascends, all of his alternate selves ascend as well. I knew this was going to happen."

"How do you know that?" Kate barked, her patience withering away after their failure.

"After we met the delightful Miss Chavez, I managed to catch her on one of her travels across the multiverse. She wanted to crush my head, because I'm apparently a real bastard in every universe. But, I'm also the best version of myself in this one. So I convinced her to tell me the story of the Demiurge. Billy Kaplan. He created a parallel, out of time and the multiverse, and rewrote the rules of magic as we know it. But before he came to that, the history books of Utopia told the story of a magical black out that lasted a few seconds across the multiverse, and I quote. This must be it. Billy is going to ascend." He said. Billy shook his head.

"What? No! I'm not the Demiurge, you said it yourself!" He protested before grabbing Loki by the collar. "You liar!" He shouted, punching the god hard. And he kept hitting him. "You ruined my life! You told me reality was going to grow more and more unstable around me If I kept using Chaos Magic! You told me Teddy's feelings were not real and that I had to stay alone if I didn't want it to happen again!" He shouted before Eli and Tommy pulled him away. They dragged him where he could not reach Loki, thrashing and screaming.

"I had to! I'm sorry I lied about Teddy, but I had to!" Loki defended himself, wiping the blood that was dripping from his mouth. "All the other things I said were true! And once you ascend, you will transcend your very being!" As they entered the cockpit, Billy shouted a final threat.

"You better start praying, Loki! Because as soon as I ascend, I'll erase every version of you across the multiverse, you will regret everything you did to me!!"

A man exited the cockpit, looking at the thrashing young man blankly. He turned his single eye to the group and cracked an amused smile.

"Nice to see you, Miss Bishop." Nick Fury said, as they all stood there, dumbfounded. "I see you haven't changed a bit."

**NEW YORK, OUR USUAL DIMENSION**

"I won't sit here doing nothing!" Tony thundered. Clint winced, looking at Rebecca who was sitting at the table. The woman looked exhausted, pale, dark circles spreading under her eyes, and the shirt she was wearing seemed far too large on her, proof of the weight she had lost since she had lost her husband. Tony had taken the Kaplan family in after Jeff died, three weeks ago, in order to hide them from the authorities. Steve had been arrested and Natasha had gone missing as soon as the truth came out that night. So far, Steve had pretended he had been acting alone with Nick Fury and the S.H.I.E.L.D, but the government had not been fooled. After suspecting Wanda, they had narrowed their leads to Wiccan, thanks to the death threats written everywhere in the Bronx, and the footage of the cloaking spell shattering the air like a mirror as it disolved in a flurry of blue sparks. And they were now on the hunt for the young man.

"What else can you do?" Clint protested quietly. "They will come to take him. They already went to Kate's, and we're lucky she's smart and pretended Billy took a break from work after his father died. But as soon as they find out he's hiding here, they will come arrest him. And once they find your workshop, chances are they will arrest you too. Fuck, Tony. We're all in deep shit!"

"No." Rebecca said flatly. The two men turned their heads to face her. She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Billy and his brothers are officially staying at my parents." She declared. "They moved there after my husband's funerals. Understood? I'm merely staying here for the paperwork and the investigation." Tony and Clint frowned. "What? You think you're the only ones able to lie in order to protect someone? This is my son we're talking about." She pointed out fiercely. "And they won't put him in prison."

Tony smiled proudly, while Clint sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. He looked at the woman who met his eyes challengingly. Clint nodded with respect, relaxing slightly before turning toward Tony again.

"Anyway, how is Will doing?" He asked in a very soft voice. "And the two little ones?" He added. Tony shrugged, looking at Rebecca who put her glasses back on.

"Billy spends his days at the Sanctum Sanctorum. He is in denial about what happened. He thinks he will find a way to get his powers back, even if the Doctor Strange told him it was not possible. Josh and Ben... It's another story. Josh refuses to talk and locks himself in his room all day long. And Ben..."

"He helps me a lot." Tony finished. "This kid has an amazing range of capacities." Clint cocked an eyebrow and Rebecca nodded, a sad smile blossoming on her lips.

"Yes. He said he likes having a distraction. Thank you for that, by the way." Rebecca told Tony. The former Avenger nodded. He got up and went to pour himself some coffee.

"I managed to contact Ms Frost, by the way. She'll be in the city soon. Your boys will have someone to look after them. Stephen will make sure nobody knows she arrived here." Tony informed Rebecca who seemed to deflate slightly. Tears swelled in the woman's eyes and she sighed with relief.

"Oh thank you. I didn't know how I would manage their mutations without Jeff..." She whimpered quietly. Clint grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"There's no way we're leaving you alone in this." The archer declared. "We're here, no matter what." Tony came back to sit by the table. He took a sip of his coffee before putting the cup down.

"On the other hand... Wanda has asked if she could come visit." He eyed the woman questioningly. Rebecca did not bat an eyelash. If anything, she seemed sad.

"I won't take that decision. You'll have to ask Billy." She mumbled. "But I don't think he will accept."

"I'll ask when he comes back." Tony decided.

***

Kate knocked at Tommy's door. It had been three weeks since the death of Jeff Kaplan, and he still had not come out of his apartment once. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and waited. Tommy took his time, and when he finally opened his door, he was in his underwear, giggling and looking behind his shoulder. Kate froze for a second. Tommy's body was slightly sweaty, his chest heaving as he was panting. But what made Kate stop was that it was the first time in eight years she saw the young man without a beard. And he had gotten a haircut as well. She regained countenance when Tommy looked at her, his giggles dying in his throat.

"Oh, it's you." He said, his face falling. Kate cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, her best bitch face on display.

"Hi." The young woman replied coldly. "What are you doing? We were supposed to meet at Teddy's an hour ago." She pointed out severely. Tommy rolled his eyes, his smirk coming back to his face.

"Chill, Kate. It's not like we can do anything anyway." He protested, and leaned in sideways on the doorframe. The archer huffed and looked him right in the eye.

"This is your brother we're talking about, Tommy." She declared, making Tommy scoff. The young man looked down, smiling bitterly as he rubbed his chin. A quiet chuckle escaped his mouth and his hand ran from his chin to his eyes that he rubbed hard.

"This is just grand." He let out, focusing back on the young woman. "It's always about Billy, isn't it?" He asked, his smile turning into a snarl. "Of course. Perfect little Billy. The world revolves around him, right? But tell me one thing, Kate. Has it never occurred to you that I simply don't give a fuck about Billy anymore? And if you were smart, you'd let it go as well." Kate paled, shock making her body go numb.

"Tommy, Billy just lost his father." She reminded in a weak and trembling voice. The young man clenched his jaw, looking miserable for a second, before he regained countenance.

"And I couldn't be more sorry. Jeff was a good man, but that doesn't erase what Billy did to me. You can all try and find a remedy for his power loss, but as far as I'm concerned, it serves him right." He retorted coldly. Kate gave him a once over, tears filling her eyes.

"Tommy?"

A young woman with light brown hair appeared in the doorway, wearing a shirt that was far too large for her. She made a face when she saw Kate and a shy smile appeared on her face. Kate turned her face towards her, pinching her lips. She then looked back at Tommy and tilted her head. The young man blushed slightly as she glared at him. The other young woman looked at them both with confusion, and in a poor attempt at diffusing the tension, she offered her hand to Kate.

"Hey, I'm Lisa Molinari. I don't know if you remember..."

"Coat of Arms." Kate interrupted her, refusing to shake her hand, her eyes never leaving Tommy's face. "Seriously Tommy? This is why you've been ignoring us?" She asked, and Tommy's head snapped in her direction.

"What? Got anything to say about it?" He provoked the archer, who huffed with disdain. "Yes, I'm seeing Lisa." He declared. "So what? She never used me as a rebound to make an alien jealous. And she never pushed me away. You did both, if I recall well. I respected your choice. You want to stay single? Fine. Don't expect me to do the same." He growled, and Kate paled.

"That was eight years ago." She replied weakly.

"Which means you're eight years too late. Just like Billy. And just like Teddy. Now if you don't mind, we have things to do." Tommy declared, retreating in his apartment, taking Lisa's hand in his. "Tell Billy I'm sorry for his loss. But that's it. I don't wanna see him again." Kate opened her mouth to reply. "Goodbye, Kate." The young man cut her and slammed his door.

***

Stephen was walking through the hallway of the Sanctum Sanctorum, with Teddy by his side. The young man kept his head low. He did not understand why the Sorcerer Supreme thought this could work. He had not seen Billy since the day his father died, and he had made it clear that he did not want to see anybody. It was particularly hard though, since Teddy was acting as Tony Stark's bodyguard and seeing the Kaplans now lived with him, they always ran into each other. The fact that Billy always went in the opposite direction every time hurt like hell. And all Teddy wanted was to be by his side, hold him, comfort him, and promise him everything was going to be okay, even if he knew he had no right to feel that way.

"I have been all over the world to fix the mess caused by the loss of William's powers. It has been three long weeks of repairing wards and spells that protect us from God knows how many mystical threats. I have tried everything, and I am exhausted. You are my last hope." Stephen declared. Teddy shoved his fists in the pockets of his grey hoodie and took a shy look at the sorcerer.

"What makes you think I can help?" He mumbled as the older man led him through another door. "I mean, Billy and I..." He yelped when he ran into Stephen who had stopped abruptly before turning around.

"Theodore Rufus Altman. Of all the things that have changed when William lost his powers, you stayed the same. Real. And with legit feelings for William. You were the only one able to bring him back when he was lost in Mother's dimension. You are the one for whom Billy decided he did not want to waste his life looking out a window. I hope he still feels the same way." Stephen scolded, before starting to walk again.

Teddy looked down, and followed the older man with tears burning in his eyes. What could he say? That Billy did not want anything to do with him, and rightfully so? That he was ashamed of what he did? That he had been blind and stupid to listen to Loki, especially after Magic had been rebooted when Billy lost his powers?

That he still loved Billy to the point of feeling his inside get ripped apart when he thought of the pain and sorrow he had inflicted?

"What is Billy doing right now?" Teddy asked quietly, unable to meet Stephen's eyes. The Sorcerer stopped in front of a decorative carved wood door.

"He is studying in the library. He thinks he will find a spell, or anything to get his powers back. He is in denial. And there is nothing I can do to hel..."

He was interrupted by the sound of something crashing, causing Teddy and him to jump before looking at the door with wide eyes. Stephen opened the door quickly and entered, Teddy right after him. They rushed inside and Teddy gasped when he saw Billy hanging by the hands on one of the shelves. He was red and straining, a ladder flat on the floor beneath him. Stephen let out a string of words, his hands moving quickly and Billy was swept up by an explosion of sky blue sparks that put him down delicately. Teddy and Stephen stepped closer slowly, as Billy's shoulders were shaking. Stephen reached out and put his hand on the young man's back. To their surprise, when Billy looked up at them, he was not crying. Well, he was. But from laughter. Teddy stood there, completely at a loss, when the former mage declared between two fits of giggles:

"Sorry, I forgot I can't fly anymore."

Stephen clenched his fist in front of his mouth, his expression getting darker and darker while Teddy groaned in disbelief as the former mage calmed his laughter. Billy shot them a little smile, eyes glistening. Stephen turned his head towards Teddy, as if saying 'see what I mean?' and crossed his arms. The shape shifter rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Billy.

"Hum... Billy... It's been three weeks..." He started, getting distracted when Billy's brown eyes widened when he looked at him. He rubbed the growing beard on his chin and frowned.

"What, already?" The young man mumbled, surprising Teddy by not correcting him on his name. "Damn, I really need to start working harder." He remarked, pushing a strand of unruly hair out of his forehead, and Teddy felt his features collapse. He took a step closer and put a hand on his ex-boyfriend shoulder. Billy's winced and dropped his gaze towards the place where Teddy was touching him, prompting the shape shifter to remove his hand fast.

"We're... Concerned. You spend your days in here. When is the last time you ate something?" Teddy asked, taking in the view of Billy's skinny frame. When he had come back from Seattle, Billy was still lean, but delicately sculpted. Now, he looked more like the teenager he was eight years ago- except he was now sporting a thick beard- with dark circles under his eyes and messy hair pointing in every direction. "And when did you get a good night's sleep?" He added, noticing the nervous trembling of the young man's limbs. "Look at you... You're exhausted." He finished softly. Billy rose his chin defiantly.

"I don't know. Does it matter?" He asked, his tone starting to sound like a warning.

"Yes it does." Teddy retorted. "Your mom is barely holding on. And your brothers? They're completely overwhelmed. Come on... Take a break before you ruin your health and give them more things to worry about." He pleaded quietly.

"I can't." Billy declared flatly. He moved to the table where he had piled a lot of books and opened the one at the top, turning the pages feverishly, voice trembling with nerves. "Look, I found the spell you planned to use to transfer the Life Force back to Wanda." He told Stephen. "I know why it didn't work when I tried to do it with Tommy. There needs to be three people, right? The Caster, the subject, and then a sacrifice. If we could get David as our sacrifice, you could give me my powers ba..."

And Stephen lost it.

"ENOUGH!" He thundered, making the two young men jump. He snapped his fingers and the book Billy was holding slammed shut with a thud, sending dust flying everywhere. "In what language do I need to tell you, William? Nothing will work! David used your own powers against you! The spell he cast will be everlasting, just like the spells you used to cast with Chaos Magic! There is no way you will get your powers back! And besides, you can't counter Chaos Magic with Classical Magic. Enough of this, Billy." He finished, tone softer, using the young man's diminutive for the first time. He then made a wide gesture with his left arm, and the books shot back to their places on the shelves around the room. Billy put his hands flat on the table to hold himself up, his shoulder hunching forward. When he looked at Stephen, furious tears were pooling in his eyes, his cheeks were red and his jaw clenched.

"You said you would help me!" He accused the older man.

"I said I would help you deal with the loss of your powers, and the loss of your father. I meant it in a personal way, not in a mystical way." Stephen countered harshly, causing Teddy to move so he was between the two of them. Billy pushed him out of the way.

"Then explain something! Why is it that David spell was not canceled when magic was rebooted? Why did it last when every other magic act was erased?" He shouted. Stephen rubbed his goatee, turning bright red.

"Because he had your powers! You told me he almost fainted when he cursed you. He probably lost your powers as soon as he cast the spell, like you lost them when he did! By absorbing them using Rogue's mutant ability, he absorbed a little bit of you, which means his powers backfired, getting rid of your powers and the ones he stole from you at the same time. It is just like when you used Chaos Magic. He created a reality where your magic does not exist. Which is why this spell lasted, unlike the others."

Billy's lips were trembling. He was about to retort when something seemed to strike his mind. He turned around and looked at Teddy, horror slowly blooming on his face.

"Then... What are you doing here? You should be free from the spell I put on you. Hell, if Loki was right, you shouldn't even exist." He stammered, starting to walk backwards. Teddy bit his lips, a silent plea on his face. Billy felt the tears spill. "Oh fuck..." He croaked, and it all came back. That moment when he had tried to banish Loki's hallucination and saw Chaos Magic fade into thin air around it. This reaction had been so familiar, and yet Billy had not been able to remember when he had seen it behave like that. It had been that night, eight years ago when he had freed Teddy from the spell he had supposedly placed on him. The blue light had surrounded Teddy before fading around him in an explosion of sparks. Just like it had with the hallucination. "There was no spell..." He whimpered, his voice broken.

"Billy..." Teddy attempted, reaching out to him.

"No. Get out." The former mage growled, hunching forward a bit more. "Get. Out!" He screamed. "I don't ever want to see you again!" He roared, straightening and raising his hands to to put them on his temples. "GET OUT!!" He exploded and Teddy jerked backwards in terror, as tears poured out of Billy's eyes. He shot a glance at Stephen, who looked as horrified as him, and quickly exited the library of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

He ran. Away from the person he loved the most. Away from the disaster he had caused. Away, like Jeff had told him the night he reunited with the Kaplans.

Away, like he always did.

***

When he came back to his apartment, Teddy was greeted by all the former Young Avengers, minus Tommy and America. He went stiff when he saw Josh was there as well, jaw tight and sitting between Kate and Eli. The shape shifter closed the door behind him and sighed.

"Just so you know, I'm not in the mood." He announced. "Billy knows there was no spell, and he just told me to go to hell, to do short."

"Anybody in their right mind could have told you that." Josh spat. Teddy looked at him. "I know that Billy is supposed to be a magical messiah, or whatever, but honestly? Creating a person with a whole life and history? I think Strange would have noticed. Even Wanda could not get away with altering the reality, and she is a powerful Chaos Magic user. No, Teddy. You're just a fucking idiot." He declared. "And by doubting, you ruined your relationship. Serves you right if you ask me."

It felt like being punched in the gut. Teddy rubbed his face and breathed in deeply to stop himself from crying. Josh crossed his arms defiantly, anger and sadness mixing on his face as he studied the shape shifter. A few seconds of silence passed, everyone kept their eyes on Teddy. The young man felt cornered all of the sudden, and he looked at all of them.

"What? What else do you want me to say?" He suddenly blurted, frustration bubbling up inside his chest. He received a collective look of disapproval from the people present in the room.

"Well, for starters you could try to apologize." Eli remarked. "You came back, what? Three months ago? Have you ever gone to Billy and apologized?" Eli waited, and as Teddy did not reply, he made a gesture with his hand. "See?"

"It was never the right time. Billy hated me, then he lost his mind, and then his father. And now he hates me even more." Teddy whispered.

"Rightfully so." Josh growled.

"Why are you here?" Teddy suddenly asked the young man. "You just came out of your room to make sure I know how much you hate me? You already did that." He pointed out. Josh straightened defiantly.

"No. I decided to stop locking myself up. My... Dad would not have wanted that. And I want to help Billy." He choked and looked down. "Even if that means working with you." He finished. Kate put a hand on the young man's shoulder. Teddy licked his lips.

"Well, there's no hope. According to Stephen." Teddy quickly added when he saw the judgmental glare everyone shot his way. "I don't know how to help. None of us has magic. No. Actually, none of us has the ability to counter Billy's magic."

And that was when a star shaped portal appeared in the middle of the living room before shattering. America stepped through holding someone by the lapel of their jacket. They all jumped to their feet when they saw who it was. America blew a lock of curly hair out of her eyes. She looked fierce as she threw the person in the middle of their group. She then crossed her arms.

"What? I grew tired of sitting here doing nothing. So I went to retrieve a little something from Asgard." She huffed. The person got up to their feet and brushed the front of their long coat with an annoyed sigh. "What better way to fix something that was broken than by finding the thing that broke it?" The young woman snarled.

"Okay, okay. You still wanna crush my head after..." Loki paled when he saw the whole team around him. "Oh. Hi."

Teddy shifted so fast that it hurt. In a blink of an eye, he was towering above everyone else, his skin green and scaly and he grabbed Loki by the collar, lifting him up as the god thrashed around to break free. When he brought him up at eye level, Loki went ashen. Teddy let a horrible smirk appear on his lips.

"Hum, hi Teddy." Loki squeaked, going limp.

"What is it, Loki? No tricks?" Teddy rumbled, his grip growing tighter around the god's collar. "Humor me. Try to break free." He threatened. "I'm dying to show you how real I am." He finished, and Loki grimaced.

"Oh come on! You can't still be mad about it..." He protested weakly, looking around the room with the hope of finding someone who would back him up. Nobody came to his aid and he looked back at Teddy, who now held his face closer. "Shit!" The god cursed, lifting a hand, but the shape shifter grabbed it and bent it backwards, making the god whine with pain.

"Billy lost his powers. And you will help us find a solution." Teddy declared. Loki clenched his jaw.

"Is that so?" He groaned, and Teddy bent his hand further back. Loki took a deep breath and as he was about to say something Kate appeared by Teddy's side and shoved her scarf inside the god's mouth.

"It is so, Loki." Teddy rumbled. "I made a huge mistake because I listened to you. Because of me, Billy got almost consumed by Chaos Magic. He lost his father three weeks ago, and all of that because you decided to fuck us up to get more power. So you will fix him. Or I'll let America have her way with you."

Loki paled. Teddy dropped him and shifted back. Loki removed the scarf, red and spluttering. He looked at all of them, a hint of anger burning in his eyes. He crossed his arms and gave a sharp nod.

"I know what happened to Billy. I lost my powers for a few seconds as well, about three weeks ago. What happened?" He asked.

"It was Prodigy." Cassie said. "He managed to steal Billy's powers. Billy told us he touched him, and that he felt pain. So we thought..."

"Rogue." Loki grumbled.

"Exactly." Cassie confirmed. "We still don't know how he did it. But then again, David is a genius. If someone can invent something to duplicate powers, it's him." She pointed out.

"That, plus the fact Ms Richards got assaulted in the streets. She said someone touched her and that she lost consciousness because of the pain." Kate added.

"The Invisible Woman?" Loki frowned. He did not understand. "Why is this relevant?" He asked. Kate rolled her eyes.

"There probably is a connection." She pointed out. Loki's eyebrows went high on his forehead.

"Or not?" He defended. "Maybe it's a simple coincidence? If David had gone after Tommy, or Wanda, or the Kaplans, or even one of you, I'd understand. But the Invisible Woman?"

"Billy was not the target." Eli groaned. "It's Wanda. Billy told us that David formed an alliance with a man, Lloyd Casey. He's from the government, and he's the one who proposed the anti-Superhero law. He had spies among the S.H.I.E.L.D. One of them was his own son." Loki suddenly let out a giggle. They all groaned with disapproval, but the god shrugged it off.

"You mean that there was a guy with the same name among the agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D, but none of you suspected he could have ties with this Lloyd Casey?" His incredulous tone caused them all to avoid his eyes. "Seriously? You're a bunch of brats, but you're certainly not stupid, or so I used to think."

"Maria Hill vouched for him." Kate muttered. "Billy told me. And if he got Hill to vouch for him..."

"Still." Loki grinned. "I hope you're all aware that you brought this on yourselves, right?" He licked his lips when he saw the shame that was starting to spread on the faces of the team. He quickly moved through them and sat on one of the armchairs in Teddy's living room. "Okay. I'll help. But in exchange of a favor." He said. The former Young Avengers turned their faces towards him, and he joined his hands in an upturned V under his nose, crossing his legs. The light of the setting sun catching on the golden horns he was wearing on his head.

"It depends." Teddy groaned, taking a step forward, the others moving to form a line on each of his sides. "What do you want?" Loki's smile turned wolfish and he leaned forward.

"When Billy ascends, he will be holding the Multiverse in the palm of his hand. I want complete immunity. He will be able to fashion reality as he wants. But I wanna be out of his reach. His destiny is to rewrite the rules of Magic. But knowing him, it will be a real pain in my ass once it is done."

"If we agree, that means there will be no rules for you then, since you'll be immune to his power. You'll be omnipotent" Kate growled, and Loki nodded enthusiastically. America shook her head.

"No way. Let me pulverize him." She decided, and as she was about to lunge at the god, Teddy stopped her. The young woman shot him a betrayed look. But the young man shifted discreetly. The word 'PLAN' was now tattooed on the inside of his wrist in bright green as he held it in front of America. She snarled and took a step back.

"Say we agree." Teddy started, and waited until everyone finished protesting to keep talking. "How can we be sure you'll actually find a solution for Billy's power loss?" Loki looked so eager he was almost squirming in his seat. He flashed a wide smile.

"Come on, Teddy. I'm a trickster. I always find something. Even to trick Magic itself. Your boyfriend will have his powers back in no time."

"My ex boyfriend. Thanks to you." Teddy replied and crossed his arms. He looked around, taking in Kate's pleading face, Cassie's disappointed expression, Eli's wide eyes, and finally Josh, who looked at him as if he was a piece of garbage. Noh was standing next to America, squinting. He turned his back on them and shifted the word 'PLAN' at the back of his head, turning a few of his hair black. He extended his hand towards Loki, and the god shook it.

"Okay." He declared.

"Remember, Teddy. Better not try and fool me. Because I'll make sure your dear Billy loses his powers as quickly as he will regain them. Don't trick a trickster. Otherwise, I'll bring so much chaos in the city you'll wish I never came back."

"You can't do worse than what we've been through this past eight years." Kate pointed out.

"Then it's settled. Let's bring Billy back." Loki decided.

***

"You are still here." Stephen mumbled, looking at Billy who was sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace. Billy looked up tiredly. His eyes were empty and Stephen went to sit in front of him.

"Wong made chamomile tea." Billy replied, his voice hoarse. "But I think I need something stronger." He put the cold cup down, and balled up on his seat. "Remember when we discussed karma, the price of magic and everything?" Billy asked his former mentor who nodded silently. "Do you think all of this happens to me because I deserve it? I mean... If you take a good look at the situation, it started when I almost killed Kesler. Then my stubbornness with finding Wanda almost caused Doom to take over the world, and Cassie got killed in the process. And I still haven't been able to face her. And then there's Teddy's mom. I actually never sat and thought about how traumatizing this experience must have been for him. So I guess it's time for me to pay up, right? You told me that we pay for every magical act, be it with blood or with cracks in our psyche. But you also told me every action triggers a reaction, and so far, my actions have been far from good."

"Billy..." Stephen sighed, sorrow tinting his voice. He looked at the young man and suddenly, he seemed to remember something. "What is the wizard's second rule in that series of fantasy books?" He wondered out loud, searching for the right words as Billy lifted his head to look at him, confusion and emotion mixing on his face as tears welled up in his eyes. "The greatest harm..."

"Can result from the best intentions." Billy completed, a single tear rolling down his cheek to disappear into his beard. "You read _The Sword of Truth_?" He choked. Stephen flashed him a sympathetic smile.

"I must admit it is not really my favorite genre. But there are good pieces of wisdom inside these books. Also, I like to adapt to my students when I teach. Reading fantasy and comic books proved useful to find other ways to explain magic to you." The Sorcerer Supreme got up and went to kneel in front of Billy, cupping his face. "And to give you an answer, no. I don't think you deserve what is happening to you. Like every single one of us, you did bad things, Billy. But most of these things you did backfired because of your lack of knowledge. Besides, everything worked out in the end, right?" Billy swallowed thickly and looked down, unable to meet his former teacher's grey eyes. "I know what you think. But trust me on this, Billy. You are not a bad person. You are just a young man who tries his best to keep the ones he loves safe."

"Yet I still couldn't save my dad." Billy whispered and his face scrunched up. But he took a deep breath and managed not to start sobbing. "Please. I understand I will never get my powers back. But give me something to do. I need to work on something, otherwise I'll... Drown." He finished. "And I can't afford that seeing there's a bounty on my head." Stephen nodded and let a soft smile play on his lips.

"Okay. I am sure I can find something. I will not leave you alone in this, Billy. But for now, you need to rest. Come on, let's portal back to Stark's." The older man muttered. Seeing his former pupil's chin was trembling he pulled him in a tight and caring embrace. This was so unusual, Billy tensed up at first before going limp in the Sorcerer arms. "There, there." Stephen whispered. "Now, we will get you something to eat, and then you will go to sleep, alright?" He asked, and Billy nodded weakly, his head against the older man's shoulder. They broke apart and got up. Stephen started moving his fingers in a series of gestures, muttering a string of incantations.

As they stepped through the portal, Stephen patted Billy's back in a paternal gesture that made the heart of the young man clench with sorrow.

But his sorrow quickly vanished when they appeared in Tony Stark's huge living room. Because all of the Young Avengers were present, along with his mother and younger brothers. And among the group, Loki was standing. Teddy quickly exited the room, but Billy did not really pay attention. Because as soon as he saw the god, a burst of hatred made him feel like his insides were self combusting.

"YOU!" He roared and lunged forward. He crashed into Loki with so much strength that they both went tumbling down. The young man's skin was prickling as he pulled his arm backwards and slammed his fist right on Loki's nose.

"OH MY GOD!!" Rebecca cried, taking a step backwards with panic as her eldest slammed his fist repeatedly on the god's face. They all stood there in various states of shock as blood started flying. Cassie had her hands in front of her mouth, and Kate was slowly backing away, her grey-blue eyes full of terror. She had never seen Billy like that. America was as pale as a ghost and she grabbed Eli's wrist, squeezing almost too hard for the young man. Noh rolled his eyes. In his opinion, Loki deserved it. It was only after a loud crack came from Loki's face that somebody decided to intervene. Josh got in between the two as Ben grabbed Billy by the arm and lifted him up as if he was nothing but a rag doll. Loki coughed as he sat up, his face bleeding and in various shades of purple.

"LET ME GO!!!" Billy erupted, thrashing wildly in Ben's grasp. But the youngest Kaplan boy held on. He moved away and wrapped himself around his older brother, restraining him with eyes full of tears.

"Billy... Please you're scaring me." He whimpered. And that seemed to strike some sense back into the young man. Loki spat a bit of blood, but he remained sitting on the floor, apparently dumfounded. His face was too damaged to read his expression. Teddy came back into the room, alarmed by the shouting. His eyebrows went up high on his forehead as he took in the view of the god's smashed in face. And then Billy looked at him. And Teddy felt his breath catch in his throat. There was so much sorrow in Billy's eyes. So much pain and anger. But above all, regrets. When Billy realized he had been staring, he whipped his head towards Loki.

"How dare you show yourself here?" He rumbled, trying to ignore the way his heart hurt when he looked at Teddy. "How did you cross the Asgardian security system?" Loki spat a little more blood and started glowing. A few seconds after, his face was back to normal. He then went back to his feet and brushed the front of his long coat.

"Are you calm now that you broke my face?" The god sneered, ignoring Billy's comment about the Asgardian security system. "You're welcome, by the way. If I hadn't let my guard down, your hands would be ruined, and there would be no hope in you getting your powers back." He grumbled. "Hitting Asgardian skin, Billy? A bad call for a mage. Your hands are your most precious possession, treat them with care."

"Oh my God. I'm gonna kill him." Billy declared, before the words Loki had said finally reached his brain. "Wait. What did you say about my powers?" He asked, eyes going wide.

"He is a liar Billy. You cannot trust him." Stephen intervened, and placed himself between the god and his former pupil. "You must think you have fooled everyone." The Sorcerer Supreme warned, "But I know you are vile. And I will not allow you to poison Billy's life any longer. You have caused enough damage as it is, and now, he needs to rest. And grieve." He then turned to Billy. "I will repeat what I already said. You getting your powers back? It is impossible. No matter what Loki thinks he can do to help you, it is only a lie."

"I've lived a thousand lives, Strange. You may be the highest authority in magic for now, but as far as I'm concerned, it's Billy's choice. And if I say I can give him his powers back, it's because I actually can. I'm a trickster. I know how to bend the rules."

"Tell me who had this bright idea?" Tony asked, turning towards the former Young Avengers.

"Me." America replied with disdain. Tony shook his head.

"Of course." He said flatly. "So, correct me if I'm wrong, and I know you won't need to, you're all pretty much acting for your own interest, right? Loki wants Billy's powers for himself. America wants to make sure her world is created."

"You know what? I'm sick and tired of people speaking in my name!" Billy shouted to cover the argument. "I'm sorry but if there's any possibility, I wanna hear it."

And Billy's plan started to take form in his head. Loki had already proven he was able of doing unspeakable things. So he was surely able to accomplish this, which meant that if he got his powers back, he could do what he had been planning to do ever since he had started researching for a solution in the Sanctum Sanctorum library.

"I don't know where to start, but I promise I will find a way." Loki declared, and to the general surprise, he bowed in front of Billy who took a step back in disgust. "It will be my honor to help the Demiurge and next Sorcerer Supreme."

"I'm not..." Billy started but then he saw the hopeful glint in his mother's eyes, and felt Ben's embrace turn tight around him. Josh came by his side and grabbed the former mage's hand before giving it a gentle squeeze, his small but broad figure grounding him for a second. And that was when Billy realized how much his younger brother looked like their dad. And then his mother joined her three sons and put a hand on Billy's shoulder.

"If it's what you want, I'll support you. But are you sure about this? You can let go of this life if you want to."

Billy thought for a moment. If he decided to walk away from his powers, he could lead a life out of the dangers of super heroism, he could stop being a wanted man. But on the other hand, no powers meant he would never be able to bring his father back from the dead. The former mage looked at Stephen, swallowing thickly when he saw the Sorcerer Supreme turn ashen as he understood that he had made his choice.

"I'm sorry Stephen." He mumbled, before turning to face Loki. "When do we start?"

The god smiled brightly, and a flash of victory made his bright green eyes shine.

***

Billy realized how tired he really was once he actually got under the covers of his bed. His decision had shocked everyone, but he frankly did not care. He needed Chaos Magic to be able to bring his father back. For the first time in three weeks, he really felt like there was hope. He let out a loud breath and felt the eight years worth of tension leave his body. His limbs started trembling uncontrollably and he felt his eyes fill with tears. He lifted his right hand and pressed it on his forehead as he tried to suppress the sobs that were threatening to come out of his mouth. His body was finally expressing these eight years of suffering, he thought, as his shaking grew more and more violent and his started to hurt from his holding back. He sniffed and wiped the tears from his cheeks, but they were replaced by even more of them.

"It's useless. This pain will never leave you. I speak from experience."

Billy almost screamed in terror as the man's invisibility charm dissipated as he pulled his hood down. Almost, because Billy was now looking into his own brown eyes. He muffled a shocked noise as the older version of himself gave him a sympathetic smile. And then, some body parts of his older self disappeared for a few seconds, before they reappeared, and disappeared again.

"What the..." Billy started, voice thick with crying and fear and shock, but his older self groaned.

"Our magic doesn't exist in this reality. Crap. I can't stay long. Billy, listen to me. Ther... Mething... Otta Know..." Billy grimaced, and got up mechanically, eyes getting wider and wider, legs wobbling and hands up. But what could he do? He was powerless. He could not help, and he did not know if he wanted to, nor did he know if the man in front of him was an actual version of himself. A wave of blue light erupted, bathing the whole room in sapphire hues. Billy shielded his eyes, and when he brought his hand down, he almost passed out. Chaos Magic was crackling all around his older self, wild and threatening like he had never seen it before. It was pure power, pure will, made of light and thunder, an expression of might and total omnipotence. It was far from what Billy was able to do. And that vision scared him. Even with all the training, he had never been able to cross dimensions like his older self did. Older Billy took a step forward, eyes shining with power. And when he opened his mouth, his voice echoed, magic altering it.

"I'm from the future. I came here to warn you. Loki can't be trusted. All he wants is for you to ascend and destroy the Rules of Magic so he'll be able to do everything he wants without paying the price. It's what he's been preparing me for. I can only ascend when you do, and I beg you to bind his powers as soon as you regain yours. You're stronger than he is. He's a liar, don't let him isolate you, because he will try to, like he did in the past, your present, with me. You need to stay close to your friends and your family. And Teddy. I know you're aware that Loki lied about him now. And I know it hurts. But please, sort everything out with him, otherwise, he'll be out of your life for good. And despite what you think now, we both know this is not what you truly want. If you don't listen to me, in ten years..."

Billy from the future disappeared. Billy looked at the spot where he had been standing, his body growing colder by the second, his skin prickling with panic, unable to speak, shock making his mouth and tongue go numb. He took a step forward, his blood pounding in his ears. With a final burst of power, his older self came into view again, sweat pouring from his brow.

"Do as I say! Save your family! Save your future!" He pleaded, his voice raspier than ever, straining under the effort he was making in order to remain in this dimension. And then he vanished completely, leaving Billy from the present alone in his bedroom with eyes wide and fear etched in his face.

The young man fell on his behind, his mind working at full speed. Saving his family? What did he mean by that? Were his mother and brothers in danger? And how could he possibly outsmart the norse god of treachery and lies? And Teddy? What did he mean about Teddy being out of his life 'for good'? Nausea seized the young man's gut. No. He could not lose someone else. Billy balled up on himself, grabbing two fistful of hair as he tried not to lose his mind over what had just happened. The young man knew it was useless, but he wished hard to get the answers to all of these questions.

He jumped to his feet, resolve slowly making its way back inside him. He exited his bedroom and went to the living room. He almost felt like he was going to break again when he saw his mother's shirt hung around her skinny frame as she chatted quietly with Tony and Stephen. The Sorcerer had drawn something with salt on the table, and it took only a few seconds to Billy to recognize the symbol. It was an intricate circle, barred with lines and dots, and along one half of it, various protection symbols were drawn. But what got Billy's attention were the Norse runes.

"What is this?" He asked, and the three others turned to face him. Rebecca looked at Stephen with confusion, and Tony lifted an eyebrow.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" The Sorcerer Supreme replied, his grey eyes going narrow. "You promised you would rest, Billy." The young man ignored his scolding tone and came closer to the table to look at the symbol. He analyzed every line, every dot, every symbol before he suddenly straightened up to face his former mentor.

"Why?" He growled, surprising his mother and Tony.

"Billy..." Stephen started, but the young man shook his head.

"Did you think I would not understand? This spell will protect me from Loki, but it will also cut me off from any physical contact from anyone. And it will also make it hard for me to reach magic again. So let me ask you why?" Billy blurted.

"I told you already. Loki is a liar. And you believing him? It is foolish, Billy. Even he cannot counter your powers."

"This is not a protection." Billy argued furiously, pointing at the symbol. "This is a straightjacket. You're not going to keep me safe from Loki. You're going to restrain me. Why can't you understand I want to take that chance? I know Loki can't be trusted, I'm not stupid! But he might be onto something, and I want to know what it is." He growled. He wanted to tell Stephen about his future self, that he only wanted his powers back to raise his dad from the dead, and then bind Loki, just like Billy from the future had begged him to do. His words kept echoing in his head. And the mere idea of his family being in danger sent a chill down his spine. Loki had an agenda, he always did. But if his future self was able to use Chaos Magic, it meant that there was a way.

And then, the young man thought of Teddy. Teddy who had hurt him so much when he had decided to run away with David. Teddy who had been doubting their relationship because of Loki. Teddy who would be gone 'for good' if he did not sort everything out with him.

"I made my choice, Stephen." He declared coldly. "You will not use this spell on me." The older man went red with rage. He slammed both his hands on the table, making Rebecca and Tony jump before he got up. He then pointed a finger at Billy.

"You are too stubborn, William!" He thundered, and even though it was the first time his anger was directed at him, Billy did not cower. If anything, he straightened and clenched his jaw, locking eyes with his former mentor. "This is exactly why everything went wrong around you in the past. You do not think about the consequences. All that matters is what you want to do. You never take all the possibles scenarios in consideration. You keep making the wrong choices!"

"No. I make choices that you would not make." Billy countered, silencing Stephen. "I'm not like you. I don't sit and ponder for ages before taking a decision. I need my powers to put a stop to Casey and David. They killed my father!" He shouted, expressing himself for the first time in three weeks. "And for that, they will pay. Both of them." He roared, making the Sorcerer Supreme go livid. Rebecca started crying silently.

"This is the path of Dark Magic, William." He snarled, reverting to Billy's full name. "You will never have enough if you seek revenge through Magic. Your soul will be tainted forever." Billy smirked.

"Revenge? Who talks about revenge? I will put a stop to them, and bring them to justice. Anyway, I see how well you trust me. That's great, Stephen." He chuckled darkly. "I see that despite all your grand speeches, you're exactly like the others. I'm a Chaos Magic user, so I'm inherently evil, right? Now I see why Wanda was in such a bad state all the time. You will never give us a chance."

The silence that followed that remark was deafening. Billy waited, anger bubbling inside his chest. He was dying for his former mentor to deny, but the older man did nothing. The deception he felt was excruciating, but he simply nodded.

"I'm going to see Teddy." He announced. "There's an important matter we need to discuss. And I've waited too long." He said. "And before you tell me I can't go out because the government is out there looking for me, let me just precise that I will go with or without your help. So it's either you make a portal, or I take the subway."

Stephen clenched his jaw. His fists went tight on each of his sides, and for a second, Billy thought the man was going to hit him. But he did no such thing. He moved his hands quickly, and created a portal with a huff. As Billy walked towards it, Stephen stopped him.

"You were what I was the most proud of in my life, William. But you still chose Loki. How did you become such a disappointment?" He asked, voice full of spite. The young man looked down, and then met his former mentor's eyes.

"You told me once that a good sorcerer goes all the way through a spell, and doesn't give up halfway when he realizes how hard the casting is. This is what I'm doing right now. You will understand." He promised, and stepped through the portal.

Everyone stayed silent until he had completely disappeared. Rebecca turned her face to Stephen, and a proud smile blossomed on her tired face.

"My boy..." She mumbled. Tony put his hands behind his head and smiled.

"Disappointment or not, you can't deny that this kid has a will made of steel. He will make a great Sorcerer Supreme someday." Stephen shot a furious look at Tony.

"Yeah. Except he fell into Loki's grasp."

"Billy is smart. I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Rebecca said firmly. "Why can't you trust him?"

"It is Loki I do not trust." Stephen grunted. "You cannot understand." He added before he exited the room.

***

Billy came tumbling out of the portal, head spinning. Stephen was right when he said he needed to rest. He felt a wave of nausea twist his inside dangerously and he bent down, hands on his knees. He was starting to see stars when he heard someone call him by his name. The young man lifted his head difficultly and felt the colors draining from his face. Cassie came by his side and put a hand on his shoulder. Billy awkwardly moved away from her, his brown eyes wide as she stood there with her hand risen.

"Billy... Are you okay?" She asked. Billy took his time to actually look at her. She had not changed, only she was older now. She was the same petite blonde girl with turquoise eyes. Her cheeks were less round though, and her body a bit more curvy, maybe, though Billy was not sure. And she was beautiful. And alive. "Billy?" She repeated, and a shiver ran down the young man's spine. Tears started swelling in his eyes and he extended his hands to Cassie. The young woman knelt in front of him, concern written all over her face.

"I... Cassie...." Billy choked, tears spilling past his eyelids. Cassie paled and grabbed his hands, her voice urgent as she spoke.

"Did something happen? Is everyone okay?" She asked, trying to remain calm, but Billy saw that she had started growing. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"I never apologized." He said and wiped his cheeks. "I'm sorry I freaked you out. It's just... This is the first time we are face to face since you came back..." Cassie blinked with confusion. She pulled Billy into a hug, feeling him stiffen, so she let go of him.

"Sorry." She apologized, but Billy grabbed her arm. He almost lost it when he felt how warm her skin was, how soft. He pressed his fingers to her pulse point and a sob came out of his mouth. Acting on an impulse, he wrapped himself around her and hugged her as tight as he could.

"No. I'm sorry. Sorry I got you killed. I'm so relieved that you're alive." He sobbed. "I should have told you that three weeks ago, when you came back here." Cassie's brow furrowed and she put a hand on the former mage's face.

"You didn't get me killed." She assured. "Is it what you've been thinking? Oh, Billy..."

"If I had not insisted on finding the Scarlet Witch..." The young man argued, but Cassie shushed him.

"I wanted to find her as much as you did. Besides, I think it was my fault. Had I not messed with the timestream to save my Dad, I wouldn't have died." She stated. "But hey, I'm alive now, thanks to Doom... I know, it's a weird thing to say." She quickly added when she saw the disbelief on her friend's face. "So please, don't bet yourself up over that." Billy grabbed her wrists and held her still.

"Did he use magic? Doom? To bring you back?" Billy asked urgently. Cassie seemed to think for a moment. The young man had perked up far too quickly at the mention of her rebirth.

"He did..." She muttered and hissed when Billy's grip turned tight enough to hurt. "Ow! Billy!" She exclaimed and he let go of her.

"But Magic disappeared when I lost my powers. How are you still here?" Billy asked, his voice shaking. He looked down at his hands. Was there a possibility that some magic had held on? Cassie rubbed her wrist.

"I think I survived because of this." She whispered and pushed the collar of her blouse down. She revealed the tip of a vertical scar. "I had a heart transplant. Long story. I still felt it when you lost your powers... It felt like I was dying for a few seconds..."

"Scared the shit out of us, by the way." Someone said. The two former Young Avengers turned their heads, seeing Eli walk towards them in his pajamas bottoms. "I'm going to wake Teddy up." He declared, putting the baseball bat he was holding down. Cassie got up as Eli disappeared in the hallway.

"Teddy let us stay here." She explained. She went to sit in one of the armchairs, pulling her legs up against her chest. Billy followed her on wobbly legs. "He told us about what happened... Between the two of you... I'm so sorry." She finished in an awkward whisper. "Loki is a piece of shit." Cassie added quickly when she saw the severe look Billy threw her way. "And you don't want to talk about it." She whispered and looked down.

"I do." Billy replied, his voice strained. "But with Teddy."

That was when the shape shifter entered the living room, shoulders tense and a serious case of bed head. He looked down and leaned against the wall. Eli scratched his cheek and turned his face towards Cassie.

"We should..." He started and Cassie jumped to her feet.

"Right!" She said and quickly walked towards the hallway. Teddy and Billy both remained silent after the two other disappeared. Teddy was looking at his toes, shame starting to swell inside his chest. There were many things he wanted to say. But all of them would probably make Billy hate him more than he already did. He had cheated, he had been insulting. He had said things that had been so hurtful he wanted to crawl in a hole and remain there for the rest of his life.

"So you brought Loki." Billy mumbled, knowing it was probably not the best ice breaker. Teddy looked up and nodded.

"It was not my idea. America went to retrieve him from Asgard, so I suspect Thor is gonna fall on our asses soon..."

"Okay. Let's not beat around the bush here." Billy decided. "Teddy... What you did eight years ago, it was awful. I still have nightmares about it, it still hurts like hell every time I look at you..."

"I know, I know, you never want to see me again, I caught that. I'm sorry, I simply wanted to help you the best I could by bringing Loki. I had a plan, you know, to make sure he would not try and fuck with us because what he asked in return for his help was out of the question..." Teddy babbled, trying to say everything he could before Billy told him to go to hell or anything, but he was cut short anyway.

"No! No... I'm not here for Loki, not at all. I'm here because of us. Loki and his shenanigans can wait. I'm not stupid, I know he will try to fool me at some point. But I wanted to see you. I'm tired of being angry, and tired of ignoring you. I lost my father. And I had a visit earlier tonight at Stark's that made me realized I really don't want to lose anyone else. Especially you."

Teddy sat down, completely taken aback. He looked at Billy who was scratching at his thumb with the other, and avoiding the shape shifter's eyes. A few seconds of silence passed, getting on Teddy's nerves. Until he could not hold it anymore.

"What do you mean, a visit?" He blurted, his hands tight around the arms of the armchair he was sitting in.

"Myself. From the future." Billy mumbled awkwardly. "He said I should not trust Loki, which is the same as saying water is wet. But he also told me to save my family. And that I needed to sort things out with you, otherwise, you'd be out of my life 'for good' and I quote." The former mage whispered. He then looked up, and Teddy gulped. "I... We were in love. But before that, we were friends. And even if I'm deeply hurt because of you, I don't want you out of my life for good. You're too important to me." Teddy looked at Billy in disbelief, a wave of self disgust crashing over him.

"Are you serious?" He croaked. "I made you think you had forced me to love you. Hell, I made you think you had created me. I ran away from you because I didn't trust the validity of my fucking feelings, and you're ready to forgive me?" The shape shifter got up and put a hand in front of his face, feeling the tears build up behind his closed eyelids as he turned his back on Billy.

"I told you..." Billy's voice was trembling. "I lost my Dad. I'm not losing anyone else."

"BUT I DON'T DESERVE YOUR FUCKING FORGIVENESS, BILLY!" Teddy shouted, turning around. And the tears fell as he let out a sob, terrified when he saw the other young man jump, terrified at the idea Billy was going to take back what he had just said. And at the same time, relieved and grateful because it meant there was hope. Billy sniffed and clenched his jaw, eyes humid.

"Guilt is toxic, Teddy. I speak from experience." He mumbled. "I'm offering you a clean state. Because I... You mean so much to me." There. He had said it. It was not exactly what he had wanted to say, but it worked, in some way. "My father... He would have wanted me to forgive you. It was one of the first things he told me when he came back." Teddy started sobbing uncontrollably. Of course Jeff had done that. He thought about the man, and the emotion was too much for him to handle.

"How are you holding on?" He asked, voice ragged as if he had trouble breathing. And Billy deflated.

"I'm not." He groaned, and he started crying as well. "I should have been the one to die that night. And that is fucking unfair." He got up, his legs shaking violently and he started pacing. "My dad got in between me and Jackson..." And at the mention of that name, Billy turned ashen. He started scratching at his arms, a disgusted snarl distorting his lips. "I... I feel dirty." He whispered. "He killed my father. And I slept with him." cold sweat gathered at Billy's brow and he put a hand in front of his mouth. It took him a few minutes to calm his nausea down. "But he will pay." He stated in a mumble, and he repeated these words three times, as if trying to convince himself. "As soon as I get my powers back." And then I will bring my dad back. Billy thought, a little spark of hope lighting up in his chest. Teddy studied the other young man.

"What does that mean for us?" He asked in a tiny voice, and immediately regretted it when he saw Billy look at him with confusion.

"We start over. Friends. But I can't..." Billy did not know how to say it.

"I understand." Teddy whispered. He bit his lips. "I'm so sorry for your Dad. I know how hard it is for you right now. When I lost my Mom... Well. I was glad I had y... The team. I don't know how I would have survived this if it had not been for you and the others." Billy nodded.

"I never apologized." The former mage whispered. "For what I put you through when I tried to bring her back. It's normal that you didn't trust me or my powers after that." Teddy straightened at that.

"Hey, no. That wasn't your fault. It was mine. I listened to Loki, and allowed him to mess with me. I should have known better." Billy shook his head. This talk was disaster.

"Look at us." He chuckled sadly. "It used to be so easy to talk, even before we started dating. And now we're here."

"And now we're here." Teddy repeated. He looked at the other young man. "Just... Just so you know... I don't care about what your future self told you. I'm not going anywhere. Well, not until I fix what I broke." He declared, and he hoped Billy understood it was a promise. A promise he was not going to break, no matter what. Billy nodded. They had moved closer and closer to each other.

"I... I fucking missed you Teddy." The former young mage muttered, and he started crying again. Teddy felt his heart break, and tears started rolling down his cheeks as well.

"I missed you too, Billy." He croaked. They looked at each other, the same pain etched in their face. Billy suddenly took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Teddy in a tight embrace. The shape shifter hugged back, his arms tight around Billy's middle and they fell to their knees, crying in silence. And for the first time in a very long time, everything felt right.

Except for the figure that turned invisible behind the window.

***

It could have been perfect. Teddy and Billy were reconnecting slowly. Kate, on the other hand was not ready to forgive Teddy that easily. Their team had started contacting the former heroes that had taken part in Fury's newly founded S.H.I.E.L.D in order to take down Casey and expose him.

"It's not going to be easy. From what Clint and I gathered, he's slowly building a super heroes hunting agency. He will try to get us all behind bars. And that is if we're lucky of course." Natasha told them one day. She had only appeared during a video call, not telling them where she was. But it was safer that way. Clint roamed the streets without hiding, in his usual carefree behavior. Steve was still in jail an waiting for trial. Word was on the street that he still claimed Fury and him had worked on their own, and he had not once talked about Billy. The former mage's lessons did not go anywhere, much to Loki's annoyance. But after a talk with the Young Avengers, Billy had decided Stephen's spell was the best solution to keep the god at bay.

And the spell had all the downside Billy had suspected. Physical contact was impossible. It caused pain. And as soon as Stephen put the spell on Billy, it was as if all of his senses had been muffled. The two barely talked, the resentment was still strong on both side. Tommy had disappeared. His apartment was empty. Kate had done her best not to cry when she had told the news to everyone. Billy had cried.

One of the best surprises, though, was that Emma Frost was doing an extraordinary work with the younger Kaplan boys. Her training sessions were harsh, but after a week, Josh had discovered the true nature of his powers.

"I control matter at an atomic level!" He announced one day, rushing out of Stark's workshop excitedly. "Look!" He said, before extending his hands towards Teddy, who collapsed as his chair turned liquid. Teddy was laughing when he got back to his feet under the horrified stare of the people present. Josh was still pissed at him, and he never missed a chance to show it. But Teddy seemed to think it was fair. They also learned that Ben had the ability to increase one aspect of himself at a time. Meaning he could increase his strength, speed, intellect, healing, memory. Tony had marveled over him doing advanced maths, But what had impressed everyone was that he had been able to play any instrument after a few minutes of practice, or reproduce a painting perfectly.

"It won't really be useful in battle though..." Ben had remarked, cheeks red as Kate and Cassie started gushing over how well he could play the piano. "Besides, Billy is better than me." He added quickly, feeling awkward because of all the attention.

"Are you kidding? I only took piano lessons to work on my finger dexterity. It took me years! And you did that in what... Half an hour?" Billy had pointed out, dumbfounded. "I never quite managed to play properly. I'm almost tone deaf." He had reminded his youngest brother.

"Says the musical freak." Ben had replied, knowing Billy was only lying to encourage him.

It truly could have been perfect.

Except they came to arrest Billy.

"The boy lost his powers! Leave him alone!" Tony roared, keeping himself in between Billy and the two agents that had come knocking at his door.

"There are no proof of that." One of the agents said. "I'm sorry, but we can't really trust your words, Stark. You've been hiding him for three weeks. Consider yourself lucky we don't arrest you as well."

It could have been perfect. As they attempted to grab Billy, Tony had moved to stop them. The spell needed to remain a secret.

"Okay. But there's no need to touch him, right? Billy will follow you." He said calmly.

Billy was escorted outside, his head buzzing with fear as Tony typed quickly on his phone. He looked at his mother who was crying. And then at Ben and Josh, whose hands were hovering halfway up. He shook his head as discreetly as he could, and his brother put them in his pockets.

And suddenly, thunder echoed all around the street, scaring the journalists that were taking pictures, and causing a mayhem and a clamor that had not happened in eight years.

Thor appeared in the middle of the street, Mjolnir sending lightnings all around. And on his right side, Loki stood, a mischievous smile on his lips. One of the agent pushed Billy behind him as his colleague drew his weapon out. Billy hissed in pain, as if he had been burned, fear twisting his inside. The agent retrieved his hand and looked at him with confusion as a pained grimace appeared on his face, his palm covered in blisters.

"You have no right to be here, Thor!" The other agent called, his gun at the ready. Thor took a step forward, and the two agents turned ashen.

"Surrender the boy to me." He thundered. "He must pay for his crimes against Asgard." Billy felt like he was going to melt into the sidewalk. Terror seized him as Thor turned his ice blue eyes towards him. "He took our magic with him. And tried to abduct my brother."

"We can't do that." One of the agents argued. "The boy has been charged with vigilantism. He will face trial for what he did. And you Asgardians are banned from Earth. Go back to where you came from Thor, or we will have to open fire."

"Your puny weapons will not harm me, Midgardian." Billy cocked an eyebrow at that. He had never heard Thor call anyone 'Midgardian' before. He looked at Loki and saw the faint green glow around the god's fingertips. His eyes went wide.

_Don't let him isolate you, because he will try to._

His older self had tried to warn him. Billy clenched his jaw. The agents seemed to understand there was nothing they could do against the god of thunder. They stepped aside before Billy who started shaking his head.

"He will be judged and sent to rot in our jail." Thor thundered as he took a step forward and took a hold of Billy's shoulder. It was as if a gust of wind was swirling around his upper arm, the young man thought. "There is nothing your justice can do that will rival with what we decided to do to him. May all of you witness what happens when you attack Asgard!" He shouted in front of the journalists who kept taking pictures as discreetly as they could. Billy turned pleading eyes towards Tony, who was completely at a loss. He tried to make him understand, but the older man was too confused by the situation to pay attention to him.

"Heimdall!" Thor called, lifting his hammer. And Billy was suddenly surrounded by rainbow colored lights. He wanted to scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. It only lasted a second before his feet connected with hard stone. The young man fell on his knees, blinking. A wave of nausea twisted his insides as a bitter taste invaded his mouth. Thor, the actual Thor, and not some illusion created by Loki was standing in front of him, Mjolnir in hand. As soon as his magic double vanished, he put the hammer back on a small column with glowing runes. The observatory instantly went dark. Heimdall, who was standing in the middle, left the scene quietly. Thor then turned around and knelt in front of Billy.

"Fear not, William Kaplan of Earth. From now on, you are safe."

"Welcome to Asgard, Billy." Loki said with a mischievous smile.

Billy swallowed thickly. He was far from safe. He looked around, taking in the view of Heimdall's dark observatory. He was alone in Asgard, and Thor had put his hammer back on the security system that closed the Bifrost for good. He was not _safe_. He was _fucked._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 8! A large thank you to you all for sticking with me despite the long wait <3\. I'm still deeply sorry about it, so thanks a lot <3
> 
> Once again, the biggest thank you goes to Laura, my beta, and female counterpart, and to Lisa, my best friend. I checked, and she now has this chapter in 16 parts, bless her soul <3
> 
> Another big thank you goes to Smiledesu, I'm glad I got to have their input about some aspect of my fic, and they're simply amazing <3
> 
> A big thank you to my dear friend, and knight in shining armor Kleos-aphtith0n <3
> 
> This chapter is for Pame Bc, who mentioned my name in a reply to an ask asking for authors in the YA fandom the wonderful Khirsah received on tumblr. I don't think I'm worth it, but thanks a lot for that, it meant a lot to me <3
> 
> And now, I gotta put a trigger warning on this chapter. 
> 
> !!TRIGGER WARNING!!
> 
> In this chapter, you find out what really happened to Tommy after he apparently left New York. To do short, he's been abducted by Casey and David and David wants to take a blood sample from him. So if you're triggered by needles, you might want to skip that scene. It starts at "the vibrating chair was a real pain in the ass" and ends at "And grabbed one of the surgical tool at the side of the chair". We all know Tommy faced horrible treatment when he was in juvenile detention center, and this dark period comes back to him during that scene, it's not very graphic, but I think it's still PTSD, and if you're triggered by this, do not read that part.
> 
> This chapter is rather violent. Teddy will suffer from some bullet wounds at some point. So you can avoid that part by skipping from "Teddy proceeded through the fight without paying attention." to "Teddy chuckled as well, and closed his eyes, the tension easing softly between his shoulder blades as he allowed himself to rest, just for a few seconds"
> 
> Billy has a panic attack, you can skip from "With a strength he did not suspect possessing, Billy flung the mirror in the direction of the wall facing the bed." to "His eyes were burning harshly as his last hopes flew out the window."
> 
> I'm gonna put another trigger warning in the footnotes, not here because it's too much of a spoiler, it concerns scars, and if you're triggered by that, I insist on you reading the notes at the end of the chapter to avoid this scene. So please, read the footnotes, it's very important. Safety first!!
> 
> I don't think I'm forgetting anything, but if I am, let me know. So here you go, chapter 8

**THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY- WEEK ONE**

"What do you mean 'we lost him'?" Lloyd Casey asked the two agents, putting his palms flat over his desk. The two agents shuffled awkwardly on their feet, keeping their heads down. "Answer me!" The man suddenly shouted, making both of his agents jump.

"We had him, sir! But then Thor arrived and took him from us! He said the boy had committed crimes against Asgard by abducting his brother or something like that..."

"And you two idiots didn't even try to stop him?" Lloyd's face was an ugly shade of red. He rubbed his face and exhaled loudly.

"It was Thor..." The agent replied in a tiny voice. "I mean... What can we do against Thor? We only had guns..." Lloyd walked around his desk shaking his head. He studied the two men and sighed.

"You're right." He said, putting a soft hand on the agent's shoulder. "You only have guns, and Thor's got his hammer, his so called divine powers, right?" The agent nodded. "I mean, what can you do against Thor?" His grip went tight around the agent's shoulder and, pulling him by the collar of his jacket, he slammed his head against the wood of the desk. The agent yelped with surprise, and then whined, crawling away and clutching his nose. The other agent took a step backwards, raising his hands. Lloyd looked at him and frowned, before running a hand through his grey hair. "What is this?" He asked, voice low and menacing. The other agent paled.

"What is what?" He asked, taking another step back.

"What's this on your hand!" Lloyd shouted, and the agent quickly brought his hand down, babbling his explanation.

"When I touched the boy, it burned me. I don't know what happened, I swear..." Lloyd's eyes went wide, making him look mad. He rubbed his face.

"Get out!" He commanded. The two agents fled his office and he loosened his tie. David faded into view and crossed his arms.

"I don't understand. You did not feel it coming?" He asked mockingly, going to sit in Lloyd's chair. "I thought your intuition was foolproof? Is it not what you told me?"

"We lost Kaplan!" Lloyd growled. "We were this close..." And he threw away what was on his desk in a fit of rage. David rolled his eyes and joined his hands. He studied the older man, amused of seeing him lose his temper, he who prided himself of being so calm, even in the most critical situations. So he let him throw his fit, following him with his eyes. Once Lloyd calmed down, he turned around to face David. "You don't understand." He huffed, seeing the mocking grin on David's lips. "Kaplan saw everything. And he's the only one with enough power to annihilate us." David chuckled.

"Well, not anymore." He pointed out. Lloyd groaned and put his hands on his desk, leaning in.

"Oh trust me. Soon, Kaplan's powers will come back. And we can't reach him, since my useless men surrendered him to Thor!" David got up, letting an annoyed sound out of his mouth.

"We can deal with Billy later. Besides, you're two steps away from getting your agency. I've almost succeeded at duplicating Stark's technology, my serum works perfectly, and thanks to the knowledge I got from Strange, we will soon have magicproof armors. Now we just need the plans to build some sentinels, and soon, you'll have everything you need to destroy super heroes properly. And now that we have Tommy, I can go back to my plan and start working on my vengeance. Let's see how many body parts we need to send to Wanda before she tries to save her son."

"What about the Young Avengers? You told me Altman was letting them stay at his place?" Lloyd asked. David simply shrugged.

"Without Billy, they're not a menace. I have enough Super MGH to enhance hundreds of people. A little more experiments on Banner, and I'll have the formula to create a Hulk." He then eyed the shield on Lloyd's wall. "If only you let me use that to make bullets..." He sighed, and Lloyd shook his head.

"This shield is a trophy. You're not using it." He declared, going to caress Captain America's weapon of choice with reverence. "This is the proof I won over them. I already gave you Stark's helmet." David shrugged.

"Can't blame me for trying." He remarked. "I gotta get back to our guest. When are we moving to their headquarters?" He asked.

"As soon as I get the ownership papers signed. We just need Fury to be condemned. And then, the S.H.I.E.L.D will be ours. I can't wait to turn it into my anti super hero agency. Just to see them witness their last hope falling."

"And about Billy's powers?"

Lloyd looked at the wall and squinted. There were no doubts that Kaplan would regain his powers. He did not know when, or how, but it was certain. He turned around and locked eyes with David who was studying him.

"Let's hope that our dear Loki does what he is best at. Kaplan's doubts will make him extra cautious, stalling his power regain. And with a bit of luck, Loki will get what he wants, which is magic without rules. He'll bring so much chaos that we will have to stop him, and thanks to your magicproof armors, we will be able to take him down. We won't need superheroes anymore, and we will arrest all of them, because there's no way they will ignore Loki going haywire."

"I hope you're right." David muttered, his jaw clenched. Lloyd smirked.

"I'll know if we need to change our plans. After all, my intuition never fails me."

"Except when you don't see Thor stealing Billy away from us." David grumbled. Lloyd squinted.

"I can't know what is going to happen if the decision was taken without thinking. Even my power is not absolute. But nobody knows this. We're safe as long as they keep planning their next moves."

"Let's hope they never find out about your limits then." David declared before exiting Lloyd Casey's office.

***

The vibrating chair was a real pain in the ass. Literally and figuratively. Tommy looked at his wrists and ankles and pulled on his restraints, but they did not budge. He focused and felt his cells start to hum as they began vibrating but as soon as they accelerated, the chair made a wiring sound, and it started shaking hard enough to make him want to puke. He groaned and stopped accelerating his molecules.

"I told you it was useless, Tommy. I designed this chair especially for you. Or for any speedster. It will always adapt its frequency to keep yourself strapped to it. So spare yourself the effort, okay?"

Tommy rose his green eyes to look at David who had just entered the room. Bile started rising in the speedster throat. This situation was way too familiar. Memories of his time in juvenile detention flashed before his eyes. David was wearing a lab coat, and he felt cold sweat prickle at the back of his neck. When he had woken up after having been taken, he was in a cell. But they had moved him to what looked like a lab after drugging him heavily.

"What do you want with me, David?" The young man snarled. "You disappeared for eight years, and then you kidnap me? Have you all lost your heads?" He hissed. "And why did you try to kill Billy? And if you say it's because of Teddy, I'm going to lose it." He ranted, trying to stifle the terror that was bubbling inside his chest. Then he remembered David was there when Jeff died and a wave of rage overcame him. "You killed Jeff Kaplan." He stated coldly.

David laughed.

And Tommy felt sick, because the David he had met all those years ago would never have laughed at such a serious matter. The genius got up and walked towards the chair, shaking his head. Tommy tensed up immediately when he saw he was holding a blood sample kit. So what he was thinking was right. David was going to experiment on him.

"I didn't kill Jeff Kaplan. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Billy was supposed to die, not him. But I was not the one that pulled the trigger." David sat next to the chair and rubbed some alcohol in the crook of Tommy's elbow.

"Don't!" The speedster growled and started fidgeting on the chair, unable to get away. His head was spinning and tears started swelling in his eyes which went wider as David approached the needle to the crook of his arm.

"Don't be a baby, Tommy. You'll only feel a small pinch." David mumbled, tone threatening. Tommy took a ragged breath and started pulling at his bonds madly. David leaned backwards and let out an angry sigh. He removed his glove and sighed. "I really didn't want to do this." He declared, and put one finger on Tommy's forehead. And the speedster yelled as he felt his essence being sucked out of him, torn of his cells and leaving him raw, the pain increasing and increasing until he lost consciousness. David removed his hand and grunted. His head was spinning as his thoughts accelerated, to the point it was almost unbearable, and he got up, taking a step back. Except this step propelled him to the other side of the lab. David crashed painfully into the wall with a yelp. He got up too fast and fought hard to stabilize himself. But everything seemed so slow now. "You'reafuckingidiotdavid!" He scolded himself, and thought hard, pushing his fists against his eyes. Tommy's knowledge. He needed Tommy's knowledge. Why was it so hard to use his own power? Ever since his abilities came back, the bits of knowledge he still had from before the Decimation and the ones he had been able to absorb seemed blurry, confused and he had to focus hard to reach them. It was Billy's and Wanda's fault, he decided. He roared in frustration and punched the wall, hurting his hand in the process. Then he turned around and rushed to Tommy's side. The white haired young man was still unconscious.

"We'll start with a finger then." He announced, ominous, and grabbed one of the surgical tool at the side of the chair.

***

**ASGARD**

"Have you eaten enough, William Kaplan of Earth?" Thor asked, his tone paternal as he kept his eyes on Billy who was sitting gingerly by the table. His plate was still overflowing with food, despite his having eaten a lot, not wanting to insult the god of thunder. He needed to be sent home, something he had the feeling would not happen if he did not play the proper guest. He nodded shyly, trying to calm his heartbeat. Thor had been ignoring his requests for the past two hours. Two hours, and still no sign of a magic portal, or a star shaped one.

"It was really great thank you." Billy replied. He was fidgeting, his eyes darting from Thor to Loki, whose smile was growing more and more wolfish. "But I really need to go back. My family, my friends... They are probably worrying." Thor frowned and looked at his brother who smiled innocently.

"You came to beseech my help. You told me the child was seeking shelter." He accused Loki. "You lied again." Loki took a sip from his cup. He put it down.

"Billy needs to be away from Earth. There's a price on his head. He is powerless, and only I can help him." He declared, and Billy turned ashen.

"I never agreed to come here." He said, before turning back to Thor. "Loki made you think I asked, but I didn't. I can't... I can't stay here. I don't want to stay here." Thor clenched his jaw. Billy tucked his head between his shoulders, turtling up on himself. Thor got up, and the former mage felt sweat gather on his back.

"I'm offering you shelter from the dangers thrusted upon you back in your world, and yet you refuse. Are you fearing something from us, William Kaplan of Earth? Weren't you the one who named himself 'Asgardian' at the beginning of your journey? Even if you're no Asgardian?" Billy licked his lips. Thor made him feel like an impostor. But he could not admit that he did not trust Loki if he wanted his powers back.

"It's just... I left my family behind. And Loki's illusion declared you were sending me to prison. I don't want to be the starting point of another fight between super heroes. We need to inform them that you didn't abduct me or..."

"Or nothing. The Bifrost is closed." Loki reminded the former mage. "Nobody can cross, and Heimdall will never activate it for someone who isn't my dear brother." Billy took a deep breath to calm the anger that was swelling in his chest. He turned to face Loki.

"America can travel through dimensions." He pointed out. "She brought you to us." Loki smirked.

"But thanks to her going away to check on her world every five minutes, she won't be back yet. It leaves me enough time to set up wards that will prevent her from coming back." Loki declared. He grabbed some grapes and flashed a smile at the young man. "Same goes with Strange. Just a little magic, and he won't be able to travel here. Don't worry about a fight Billy. I left a note. They already know why I did this. Like Thor said, you're safe here. It's all that matters." Billy felt himself deflate. He saw Thor nod reassuringly, and then the smug look on Loki's face.

"So, in short, I'm your prisoner." He said. He did not care about being insulting anymore. Thor's eyes went wide and threatening. Billy tried to master the terror that was turning his insides cold. "I'm not free to go." He added. Thor let out a loud breath through his nose, clearly struggling to not lose it here and now.

"We won't hold you prisoner. You can leave if you wish to, but here, nobody wants your head for being a magician. Nobody blames you for causing damage when you lost your magic, even if our world malfunctioned because of it." Billy froze. Asgard worked with a mix of science and magic. He paled when he thought of it.

"I didn't realize." He muttered, knots forming in his guts. "Did anybody get hurt?" Thor seemed to relax and he shook his head.

"No. Only Loki suffered from the sudden lack of Magic. But magic has been unstable here ever since." The god of thunder revealed. Loki smirked.

"Yeah. Strange did not seem to think we needed some fixing here as well." He mocked. "He only focused his work on Earth. But after all, he is not our Sorcerer Supreme." The god's tone was sour.

"Which is why I agreed to grant you shelter for the length of your recovery." Thor specified. "I had the hope you would help us repair Asgard if we aided you with your magic." Billy was stunned. He felt his eyes go wide and his mouth open on a shocked breath. Thor was asking for his help. He blinked once, then twice, waiting to see if it was a joke, but the god of thunder seemed deeply serious. He closed his mouth.

"I will help." He declared. Thor beamed. "On one condition." He added, biting his lips when he saw the ruler of Asgard frown. "Allow my family and friends to come visit. They don't have to stay, just... One of them, once a week?" He bargained. Thor stayed motionless, his eyes narrowing. Loki tensed up, his jaw clenching tighter and tighter.

"It sounds just. But swear you will help us once you regain your magic." Thor demanded. Billy nodded frantically. Loki's face turned red with fury.

"I swear." Billy said.

"Then it shall be so." Thor declared. "Now, I will show you to your room. You will rest and have a bath. And we will give you something less... Earth-like to wear." Billy instantly looked down at his sweatpants and his hoodie. True. He was going to stand out in the middle of Asgard.

"Uh... Thank you. For everything you did." He muttered. The young man then looked at Loki. The god was fuming.

_Don't let him isolate you, because he will try to._

Billy did his best not to smile with victory. Loki could try and take him away from his family. Billy would fight with everything he had not to let the god succeed.

***

"I hope you like it." Thor said as he stood inside Billy's room. Billy was frozen in awe. The bedroom was huge, large enough to contain Stark's living room, with dark blue curtains hanging by the window leading to a balcony. Everything was golden in color, and the bed looked like four people could fit under the sheets.

"It's... A bit too much." Billy thought out loud. "I mean... I'm not used to having so much space for myself." Thor laughed, patting the young man on the back. Billy's breath was knocked out of him and he coughed.

"I remember. You Earth people like to sleep in tiny boxes with even smaller beds. I can't fathom how you manage to fall asleep with so little space." When Billy found the ability to breathe again, he let out a small chuckle.

"It's a cultural thing, probably." He took a step further inside the room and looked around. On the opposite side of the window, he spotted a very large bathtub and a full length mirror. "I guess everything is bigger in Asgard." The young man mumbled before sighing. "My dad would have loved seeing this." He whispered, and a lump formed inside his throat. He felt the tears build up and swallowed thickly. Thor put a hand on Billy's shoulder and squeezed it softly. "He loved Norse mythology." Billy whispered, unable to hold back. "I'll never forget the day he told me about seeing you on TV for the first time. He looked like a kid." A sob shook his body and he put a hand over his face.

"Loki told me he died protecting you." Thor mumbled, his blue eyes sad. "I know how it feels to lose your father. I'm sorry, William Kaplan of earth. I shall let you mourn in peace now." He muttered, and exited the room. Billy wiped his eyes and moved towards the balcony. From here, he could see all of Asgard. He felt tears come back, his heart heavy as he thought of taking pictures. He needed to work hard to get his powers back. Then he would be able to bring his dad to Asgard, show him the world he had always dreamed to see. He leaned in on the banister, breathing in deeply. The sun was slowly setting and the wind was carrying a bit of saline and the smell of rotting leaves. Billy could also make out the scent of fire, and it soothed him for a second. But he did not get the time to relax. He heard someone walk behind him and turned around. Loki was walking towards him, his hands behind his back.

"So Thor managed to touch you." He simply said. Billy frowned for a second, and then he realized. He opened his mouth, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Thor had touched him, despite the protection spell. "Did you really think I would not notice? Billy... I'm a trickster. Our lessons have not provided any results, which is impossible. The question is, why would you accept my help and then cut yourself off magic with a protection spell such as this one?"

"I can't trust you." Billy replied, moving backwards. "I knew you were going to try and trick me at some point, and look! You kidnapped me." He hissed.

"I saved you, Billy." Loki replied. "David has been spying on Teddy. I sensed him as soon as America brought me to Earth. He's probably been aware of your whereabouts since the day you decided to go reconnect with your prince charming..."

"Don't call him that!" Billy growled, and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on! You're still in love with him, Billy." The god spat, and Billy straightened.

"Yes. But you made sure something would remain broken between Teddy and I. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Still, I saved you from Casey and his men. You can't deny that." Loki insisted, and he put his hand on Billy's arm. It felt as if someone had put a white hot knife against his skin, and Billy yelled, instantly moving away. Loki pulled his hand back with a hiss. He looked at his palm with fury, as blisters started to form. "What..." He started. Billy held his hand against the place Loki had touched. "What spell did Strange use?" The god asked.

"Several spells. All rolled into one." Billy replied proudly. "Like I said. I can't trust you. And if that means I must wear that magic straightjacket in order to stay safe from you, then I will." Loki's features fell. He looked miserable for a second, and Billy almost regretted what he said. Almost, because Loki suddenly shook his head.

"You swore to help us. Which means you have to stay here for your recovery. I'll stop being nice to you. Starting tomorrow, we do this the hard way." He declared. "This spell will come in handy, trust me." The god turned around and rushed out of the room, leaving Billy alone with his grim thoughts.

***

It was the middle of the night when the blue light erupted in the form of a star shaped portal on the path that led to the royal palace of Asgard. Billy leaped to his feet when he saw it through the open window of his room. He barely got the time to reach the balcony that figures emerged from the light, and one of them grew to an impossible size.

"Loki!" Cassie roared, growing bigger and bigger by the second, clad in one of Tony's black suits. Billy gasped and ran out of his room as Asgardians soldiers came out of the palace, armed and ready to fight. He ran through the corridors, and crossed Loki who looked deeply amused. Thor came after him.

"So much for leaving a note!" Loki laughed and ran after Billy.

"Shut up!" Billy roared and came outside. It was too late. The fight had already started. He saw Kate leap around and shoot arrows, and Teddy, big and green, punching his way through the Asgardian soldiers. Cassie was grabbing at the soldiers and discarding them with quick swats of her hands. He then saw Eli slam into a soldier and breach their wall. "We need to stop this..." Billy mumbled with horror, and he heard Loki laugh at his side, reveling in the ambient chaos. "Loki! Do something!" Billy pleaded, feeling himself turn red with fury.

"Just a few more min..." Loki started but a flash of red white and blue crashed into him, sending him flying backwards. America stood where the god had been standing a few seconds ago. She turned to Billy, a severe expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, sounding as if she was scolding him.

"Fine. America, we need to stop this!" The young man begged as other soldiers joined the fight. The young woman cocked an eyebrow.

"We're here to take you home. They abducted you."

"Loki left a note explaining why he did that, please, there's no need to start another war!" Billy tried to reason but she grabbed him and hauled him over her shoulder. "Put me down! You don't understand!" He protested, pain exploding on the places that were in contact with the young woman. America did not seem to care that her skin was covering with blisters and flew upwards.

"I got him!" She declared and flew towards the observatory. "Heading to the observatory, come on!" Billy held on tight as she propelled herself faster through the air. He protested more, and even started thrashing when a green flash of light collided with the two of them. Billy screamed, but the light formed a cocoon around him. America crashed on the ground below. She got back to her feet, her nose bleeding. Loki was standing in front of her, and doubles of himself surrounded her.

"You know, I'm tired of you always getting in my way." The god sighed. Billy put his palms flat against the barrier, terror seizing him. America snarled and cracked her knuckles. She lunged forward and punched Loki in the face, but he faded out. She instantly turned around and blocked Loki's punch.

"Always a coward, hitting your adversary behind their back." She said, her voice dripping with hatred. But the Loki she was holding vanished as well.

"Exactly." the Loki standing behind her said and hit the back of her head with the handle of his sword. She tumbled down with a little cry. Loki made a gesture with his hand, and the cocoon holding Billy flew downwards. It disappeared as soon as it touched the ground. Billy ran for it, heading towards the fight. Loki shook his head and moved his fingers, green tendrils of mystical energy curled around Billy's legs and tripped him, making him fall with a grunt. Loki sighed heavily and pulled him up harshly, groaning at the searing pain that erupted in his palms. "This spell is really getting on my nerves." He declared, before punching Billy, knocking him out. He then turned around to look at the fight, ignoring the fact his flesh was literally disintegrating over his knuckles with a sizzling sound. "Your friends are getting on my nerves." He added and rushed into the battle. He moved swiftly through the soldiers. "Especially you!" He shouted, aiming his arm to slash at Teddy, who turned around with surprise. Loki's arm came down as swift as the wind, but his sword was stopped by another blade.

"ENOUGH!" Thor thundered, his voice loud enough to echo around and cover the noise of the fight. The soldiers froze and put their weapons back to their sheaths. Thor grabbed Loki by the collar and pushed him away. The god fell on his behind, looking defiantly at his brother. "What is this nonsense, Loki? You started a war in my kingdom?" He turned and faced the Young Avengers, a huff coming out of his mouth. "You came to retrieve your friend." He stated.

"Exactly." Kate hissed. "Loki kidnapped him. Did you honestly think we would just sit around while you did God knows what to Billy?" She told the trickster, drawing an arrow and aiming straight at Loki's face. He looked at her, disdain painted all over his features.

"I left a note detailing my plan so you wouldn't pull that stunt." Loki replied flatly. "You can't blame us for defending ourselves if you attack us." He stated.

"We never agreed on you taking Billy to Asgard, Loki." Eli shouted. "You had no right!"

"Oh, because you had a better idea? I knew the agents were going to arrest him. It was only a matter of time. Prodigy has been spying on Teddy and all of you. You're fighting a war, but it didn't even occur to any of you to be careful and to check if your environment was safe. I knew he was there as soon as America brought me to your apartment. Which is a really bad choice for a headquarters." He told Teddy. "You're just children pretending to be adults." He spat as he got up. "You should thank me for bringing Billy to a place he would be safe from Casey."

"Yeah right." Cassie snarled. "Want us to kneel as well?" She asked. "We all saw what you tried to do, Loki. You attempted to murder Teddy." She pointed out. "There's no way we're leaving without Billy."

"I got carried away." Loki defended himself with an evil grin. "He's the most threatening of you all. Had Thor not stopped me, I would have disposed of him, and then gone straight to you, Cassie." He declared without any trace of shame. The young woman turned crimson and she rushed forward, only to be stopped by the shape shifter.

"I hope you realize that this means our little truce is over." Teddy announced. "We're taking Billy back to Earth. And you will stay here. Strange will put wards up to make sure you never set a foot on our world again."

"Their world, Teddy. Not yours." Loki countered, enjoying the pain that flashed briefly in Teddy's blue eyes.

"You fucking asshole!" Kate roared and lunged at him, ready to beat Loki into a pulp but Thor got in between her and his brother. Loki practically cackled. He looked at all of them, deeply amused.

"Billy doesn't stand a chance without me, and you all know this. You also know you're fucked without him. There's no way you will be able to put a stop to Casey and David, especially now that they managed to expose the S.H.I.E.L.D. They have the government on their side, and since Casey's son worked with you, he has all the info they need to arrest each and every single one of you. It's only a matter of time."

The Young Avengers looked at each other, unable to find a comeback that would shut Loki up. The god was right. How long until Jackson Casey blabbed? Thor crossed his arms, making his biceps bulge.

"William is safe here. But if you wish to take him back to Earth, we will surrender him. He clearly did not come here willingly, and I refuse to play a part in my brother's game to domination. Loki will be hereby sent to our jails, and he shall not harm you or your friend ever again." He declared, extending his broad hand to Kate who looked at him suspiciously. Loki growled.

"But our world will fall apart!" Loki protested, and Thor turned around to face him, terrifying.

"So it shall be. You brought this on ourselves Loki. You will be the reason Asgard has fallen, and you will have an eternity to think about what you did. Release the Young Avengers." He commanded, and his soldiers stepped away.

"What do we do with this one? He managed to break into the palace." A soldier said, and threw Noh on his knees in front of Thor. The god eyed him and cocked an eyebrow.

"This is not a feat one can pride themselves in. I'm impressed, Noh-Varr of the Kree Empire." He declared. He then looked at his soldiers. "Release him too." And as he spoke the words, Thor's face fell, sorrow slowly creeping over his features.

"No. I want to stay." Nobody had noticed Billy who had been creeping towards them after regaining consciousness. He was struggling to hold America up, and smoke was coming off of the two of them as their skin burned slowly. Eli went to grab the young woman from Billy's grasp and he sighed with relief. "Fuck." He cursed, looking at his hands that were covered in blisters and he hunched forward on himself. Loki instantly stepped in his direction, but the young man jumped away. "You stay where you are!" He warned. His jaw was still throbbing. He locked eyes with Loki, looking at the god threateningly. "I'll stay and help you fix Asgard. But if you try and hurt my friends again, it's over."

"You're bleeding. Let me heal you." Loki demanded, but Teddy put his big green hand on the trickster's shoulder.

"He told you to stay where you are." The shape shifter growled, his grip tightening around Loki's shoulder. "Don't move." Billy looked at Teddy, whose resolve wavered slightly when they locked eyes. The former mage then looked at Thor.

"Remember what you promised me." He asked as politely as he could and struggling to ignore the searing pain he felt all over his body, his head spinning more and more. Thor lifted his head high.

"Just speak the name of the one you wish to see, William Kaplan of Earth, and they shall come here."

"Stephen Strange." Billy croaked as his vision blurred. "I need Stephen Strange." He said. Then everything went dark.

***

It was like lying on a cloud. But then again, maybe he was? After all, he was in Asgard, which was next to impossible, so the probabilities of him sleeping on a cloud did not seem so low all of the sudden. Something cool and humid was being pressed against his face and he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, but as his eyes slowly focused, Billy started regretting not staying out of it. Cold fury was exuding from Stephen Strange as he fought to calm his former pupil's fever.

"The spell..." Billy drawled, his mouth dry and cottony. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and he coughed. Stephen handed him a small golden cup and he drank from it, sighing with relief.

"The spell is very effective." The Sorcerer completed for him, tone cold and abrupt. "Touching was forbidden, William. You are lucky I was able to cancel the side effects. A few hours more, and your flesh would have started rotting." He declared.

"Yay."

"This is serious William." Stephen protested and threw the wet cloth in the little basin sitting on the side of the bed. "You will probably have scars. I got here just in time to stop the spell from going to far, but some of the burns were too severe." He grumbled. "Your hands are miraculously intact though."

"Is America okay?" Billy asked, remembering the smoke and the blisters as the two of them had come in contact. Stephen huffed.

"I designed this spell to make sure nobody would be able to lay a finger on you, physically, magically, or mentally. Any people who tries to get to you by these means will not like what happens after they do. But the effects are temporary. She will recover from it completely. The spell also makes sure you won't be coerced into handing your powers to anyone if you ever manage to regain your powers, which I doubt you will." Stephen said. Billy rolled his eyes.

"You're repeating yourself." He pointed out tiredly. Stephen ran a hand in his hair, tensing up.

"And I will repeat myself until you actually get that under your skull." Strange got up and carefully pulled the young man up. Billy hissed and quickly moved away, making the older man huff. Billy first thought he was annoyed, but he saw his former mentor lips twitch. "Did you honestly think I would not put some wards up before touching you? You are not that stupid, William. Or so I thought." He taunted gently before helping Billy out of the bed. He helped him walk towards the door. "Loki's hand is badly damaged." He informed. "The flesh is burned almost down to the bone. Did he hit you?" Billy touched the side of his jaw. He only felt a dull throb under his fingers.

"Yeah. Hard enough to make me see stars for a few minutes." He replied as Stephen led him through the hallways of the palace. "He also used some kind of hex to make me trip."

"Which explains the state of his hand." Stephen muttered, before letting a satisfied smile blossom on his lips. "It refuses to obey him. As if the nerves are rewiring themselves to do the exact opposite of what he wants." Billy remembered one of the symbols of the spell Stephen had designed.

"Circe's Inversion." He thought out loud. "I thought this was a counter spell?" He said and Stephen nodded.

"It is. But if you couple it with the Mirror of the Fade and the Light's Punishment..."

"It cancels the spell aimed at the subject, returns the force to the caster, and then makes them experience their own spell with the opposite intent." Billy recited, trying to get the words right.

"With an unexpected opposite intent." Stephen corrected kindly. "Loki targeted your legs to make you trip. Well, the spell targeted his hands. He will be... Let us say he will be 'tripping' over his hands for a little while."

"That's... Kinda nasty." Billy muttered. Stephen shrugged.

"For a magic user, not being able to use your hands is a big problem indeed. But at least I know Loki will think twice before acting against you now, be it physically or magically. I am proud to see it is a success."

Billy grimaced at that. He really did not want to burst his former mentor's bubble, but the spell was not a complete success. He thought of Thor and the fact the god had been able to touch him without suffering any kind of pain, or burn. At first, he had thought it was because Thor was a god-like entity, a being of immense power. But then Loki had not managed to put his hand on him, the protection spell had instantly started consuming his hand.

"Hum... About that... Thor kinda managed to put his hand on my shoulder without triggering anything..." He mouthed, looking at the Sorcerer Supreme out of the corner of his eyes. Stephen stopped in his tracks. Billy instantly tensed, but Stephen let out a small hum.

"Interesting." He simply said before resuming to walk, pulling Billy along with him. The young man made a face.

"That's it?" He asked. Stephen clicked his tongue.

"Less talk, more walk, William. Have you visited the gardens already? They are a marvel. Come on."

And Stephen fell silent after that. Billy studied the older man, feeling something was off. But Stephen was not going to tell him of course, so he bit his tongue and let the Sorcerer guide him though the palace towards the gardens.

But he did not get the chance to actually admire the gardens, because as soon as they stepped outside, Stephen put his hand on Billy's mouth and pulled him towards a small grove of unidentified trees with big pink leaves dotted in blue light. Billy started to panic when Stephen finally let go of him. Billy took a deep breath in order to shout when Stephen put a finger over his mouth, signaling the young man to keep quiet. He then moved his fingers quickly, and the space around them turned dull, the sounds muffled, except for them. The colors of their clothes turned brighter, enough to hurt the eyes and the simple sound of their breathing was almost unbearable. Stephen looked around and nodded.

"Sorry about that." He let out. Billy studied him suspiciously, keeping some space between the two of them.

"You know, I'm on the verge of not trusting you anymore." The young man announced. "Ever since Loki arrived, your behavior towards me changed completely. First you went and took care of me, and then you called me the greatest disappointment of your life. And now you basically abduct me..."

"To show you why I do not trust Loki." Stephen finished, his voice ringing loud in the magical space he had created. He grabbed the Eye of Agamotto, placing it flat on his palm. "Look who the next Sorcerer Supreme is." He commanded, and the Eye opened, making Billy jump. The young man was about to say something when he saw his face appear in the light that was shining from the center of the relic. His face, with a short beard, and a white streak of hair (that, to Billy's dismay, were brushed back) on his forehead. Billy was about to say something when he looked at the white lock of hair. He knew he was destined to be the next Sorcerer Supreme, and he always figured it would happen in his forties, or maybe fifties if he made it that far- you never knew when you were a superhero. But he looked as young as he already was in the hologram.

"So basically, you're showing me that I'll have grey hair soon." Billy grumbled, trying to ignore what this meant. Stephen huffed, once again radiating fury.

"You can not ignore this, William. You are soon going to replace me. It appeared after Loki arrived and proposed to get you your powers back." The Sorcerer declared. Billy shook his head.

"So this is why you put the protection spell on me. To make sure you would hold the title longer." He spat. "I don't want that title. I don't want to be the Sorcerer Supreme, and I don't want to be the demiurge. You have nothing to fear, I won't take the title from you when I get my powers back, because I will, trust me. I will, despite your fucking spell, and despite you working against me, just to hold onto your power." Stephen listened to his former pupil, lips parting on a shocked breath. He took a step back.

"That is not... I am showing you that I am probably going to die." Stephen stated, livid because of what Billy had just said. "If I die, the protection spell is gone. There will be nothing to stop Loki from getting to you." He finished. "You never listen to me, you are stubborn, you question everything I say, and you jump to the worst conclusion all the time. You're that much of a disappointment." Strange declared coldly, making Billy clench his jaw. He then saw his former mentor soften. "And this is why I am so proud of you. I saw that as soon as I started teaching you. You refuse to see magic as a one dimension craft. You want to experiment with it, and discover new ways of using it. And I know that if someone succeeds in bending the rules of magic without breaking them, it will surely be you. Loki can pretend he knows how to do so, but he merely uses variations in his spells, variations that cost less. And that is why he can't be trusted. He will do everything he can to have what he wants, magic without rules, so he will be able to toy with the universe without suffering any consequences."

"I won't let that happen." Billy promised, throat thick all of the sudden. "Besides, you don't have to die in order for me to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Maybe this means you will pass the mantle to me or something..." He muttered. Stephen shook his head.

"I swore that I would hold on to that title until the Vishanti decide I'm unfit for it, or until I die. It is too much of a responsibility, and I refuse to be the one to put you through this. You have been through enough already. If this ever happens, it will be because I will be too wounded to continue being the Sorcerer Supreme. I wanted to see if the Eye would show me someone else after you lost your powers, but it never changed. Until America brought Loki and you suddenly appeared younger. The Eye cannot lie, so you have to be careful."

Billy took in all those revelations. His heart suddenly started beating faster and he let out a ragged breath. Not from fear, no. But from excitement. Loki was going to succeed in helping him get his powers back sooner than expected. But then he thought of Stephen and his excitement died down.

Because as much as he loved his father and wanted to bring him back, Billy was not going to sacrifice Stephen to do so. Stephen was not going to pass the title onto him, and the Vishanti were most likely not going to name him as the new Sorcerer Supreme, or at least not yet. Which meant Stephen was going to die.

Billy felt his stomach twist with nausea. What was he going to do now? Work harder to get his powers back, bring back his father, and hasten Stephen's death? Or stall, keep Stephen alive and thus risk never seeing his father again?

He was at an impasse.

***

**MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY- WEEK TWO**

The woman walked inside Tony Stark's building, the high heels of her boots clicking loudly on the marble floor. She chased a curly hair out of her face, looking around her with a cocked eyebrow. Tony's house looked nothing like the Tower, but it was still an outrageous show of wealth, with walls entirely made of windows that probably turned black to block the outside world when the man needed privacy. She was showing up uninvited, but she did not have the time to be polite and announce herself. Her grip turned tight around the plastic bag she was holding and she finally entered the living room. The people present went silent as she stepped in, jaw tight and hazel eyes burning with urgency. Clint Barton instantly got to his feet, his body going tight as if he was bracing himself. Tony made a face and checked his phone with a confused face. The young woman sitting next to him-Kate Bishop, the woman remembered- blanched and stood up as well. But what made her stop was the look on Rebecca Kaplan's face. Reproach, sorrow, anger and exhaustion mixed on her son's other mother's face.

"You!" Rebecca said, getting up only to be held back by a stocky young man. Rebecca sighed heavily, her eyes never leaving the other woman's. Rebecca waited for a few seconds as the silence settled, heavy on all of them. "Where have you been, Wanda?" Rebecca asked, her voice breaking as she spoke the name of the woman. Wanda looked down, shame slowly creeping inside her. Her grip went tight around the plastic bag she was holding and she straightened.

"I've been hiding." She replied. "I've been chased ever since Demise Day."

"That doesn't explain why you've been ignoring Tommy and Billy." Kate said. "So okay, you had the government trying to get you and everything, but it did not occur to you that maybe they needed you?" Wanda looked at Kate.

"I needed to keep them safe. If they had caught me, I know Billy and Tommy would have done everything in their power to save me. And I couldn't allow that. Especially after Billy wiped Tommy's powers away. Yes I know." Wanda said under Kate's shocked state. "I also know you've been responsible for my son's breakdown. The Avengers doing what they do best when it comes to Magic."

"Well, you've given us many reasons to act the way we did towards Magic." Clint intervened sharply. Wanda pursed her lips and gave him a once over.

"So because of my mistakes, you decided to treat every magic user the same way?" She asked, her tone soft. "Or is it because he's my son, Clint?" Rebecca joined Wanda, her expression severe.

"I think Mister Barton is suffering from a serious trauma that stops him from considering things clearly." Rebecca pointed out. "I'm sure he did not mean to hurt our son, but your common history did not play in Billy's favor." Clint paled, and then blushed, and then paled again. He clenched his jaw, but he clearly did not like being analyzed.

"Speaking of our son..." She said, stiffening before putting the plastic bag on the table. "I think Tommy is in grave danger. That was waiting in the mailbox of the house I moved in a few days ago." She whispered. Tony reached out and opened the bag. He grimaced, horror painting his features. Wanda started shaking.

"What is it?" Kate asked urgently, before she snatched the bag from Tony's hands and looked inside. The first thing she saw was the lock of white hair. The second was a picture of Tommy, bound to what looked like a dentist chair. The third was a finger. Kate yelled and dropped the bag, getting up so fast her chair collapsed. "Oh my God!!!!" She screamed, trying to calm down, a hand on her chest. Josh came to her side and looked into the bag before turning ashen. He gagged and put the bag down, closing his fist in front of his mouth. Rebecca's eyes went wide.

"Is there..." She started, but Tony grabbed the bag.

"No, Ms. Kaplan. You don't wanna see that." He stated, but Rebecca straightened, fierce all of the sudden.

"I took Tommy in. He stayed in our home for months. He's like my son. If something happened to him, I want to know." She erupted, taking big steps in Tony's direction before snatching the bag from his hands. She looked inside and froze. She closed the bag and put it on the table. She started shaking not long after. "This is sick." She stated, her legs going limp. She would have fallen if Tony had not grabbed her by the arms. Kate turned to Wanda.

"You said it was waiting for you in the mailbox of your new house?" She asked, her tone turning cold and calculative. Wanda looked at her. She knew Kate was doing everything she could to block her feelings in order to think clearly. "That means they knew where you were headed." She suddenly said. She walked towards one of Tony's blackboards, taking a chalk.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Tony asked as she started writing, the chalk making sharp sounds each time it came in contact with the board. Kate kept writing, drawing arrows. Tony came by her side and read, his eyes jumping from word to another, and once Kate was done, he gaped. Kate had made a list of the people that had been taken by the government after Demise Day. The arrows she had drawn all lead to the words "Rogue's Powers" and another arrow led to a name. David Alleyne. Kate turned around.

"It sounds crazy, but what if it wasn't the government that is holding them prisoner? What if it's actually Casey? We're pretty sure David managed to find a way to imitate Rogue's powers. So what if he has Xavier's? Before being depowered, his mutation allowed him to absorb knowledge. Maybe he built a Cerebro, and kept an eye on you all along." She told Wanda, who frowned.

"Impossible. I have wards protecting me from any unwanted guest in my head." She stated. Kate bit her lips, her theory collapsing.

"David has an absolute knowledge of Magic thanks to Strange. He showed me when we were stuck in Mother's dimension."

Teddy entered the room, looking worn out. He was covered in dust and cobwebs. He went to the table and sat down, groaning. Rebecca instantly went to put a hand on his face.

"Oh, Teddy. Look at you, you look exhausted." She mumbled. Josh rolled his eyes.

"Stop babying him, Mom. He's fine." He declared. Teddy looked at Rebecca and smiled, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

"He's right. I'm fine, Rebecca." But Rebecca clicked her tongue.

"None of that, young man. You need a shower, and then you're off to bed."

"Did you find anything?" Kate asked, crossing her arms as she looked at the young man severely. Teddy, Cassie and Eli had gone out the night before, chasing a lead provided by Natasha, who still remained hidden. She had found where Steve Rogers had been taken. Teddy rubbed his face, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Yes. We found him. But it's impossible to break him out. There are guards in front of his cell, and they only move when they're being replaced. Cas' wanted to knock them out and break the door, but we didn't have enough equipment. Hell, Eli doesn't have any." He sighed. "But anyway. David has Strange's knowledge of Magic. Maybe he managed to track you somehow?" Teddy told Wanda who looked at him, pensive. She rose here hands and started moving her fingers, a web of red strings of light appearing all around her as she moved her hands and fingers more and more quickly. All of wards were in place. She turned to the shape shifter and shook her head.

"He did not find me through Magic." She declared. "Besides, I don't remember David having any kinds of magic abilities? Wasn't he some kind of telepath?"

"Yes. He absorbs knowledge. But he managed to find a way to steal powers as well. Through direct contact. That's why we think he has Rogue. He touched Billy and used his own powers against him." Kate replied sternly. Wanda nodded.

"And that caused the magical black out." She whispered. "Strange and I were in Latveria when it happened. We had found a cure for Billy. I was supposed to come to New York and fix him once the Life Force had been transferred back to me. We never got the time." She finished regretfully. Clint sniffed loudly, full of disdain. Wanda ignored him and held her head high. "I came here to ask for help. Thanks to what's in the bag, I'll probably be able to locate Tommy." Teddy suddenly perked up.

"Tommy? I thought he moved out of New York? What's in the bag?" He asked, confused, looking at each and everyone of them. He grabbed the bag and opened it. "Fuck!" He yelped, getting up. "Is that Tommy's finger?"

"From David, with blood." Tony said and rose his hands when he saw the horrified look they all shot him. "Sorry, it came out of nowhere."

"Besides, aren't we jumping to conclusions here?" Clint snarled. "I know for a fact that many people want to avenge for what you did. Maybe it's not David, maybe it's someone else." He told Wanda. "And with Billy being in Asgard, they settled for the other way to get through to you."

"Right. Billy gets his powers stolen from him and almost shot by David and Casey junior, and a month after, Tommy is abducted, but somehow, it's not linked at all..." Kate grumbled. "According to Billy, Casey said David had a vendetta against you." She told Wanda. "He is one of the mutants your spell affected. So to me, it's pretty clear. He wants to make you pay for that, and what better way for that than to target your sons? They're the reason you lost it." Wanda listened closely before she turned to Clint.

"I think Kate's right. Unless you have another theory?" She asked softly, sincerity shining in her eyes. She really wanted to hear Clint's opinion. The archer huffed and looked away, jaw tight. Wanda looked down. "It's settled then. I'll go perform the locator spell. And then we'll make a plan to save my son. Also, can someone tell me why Billy is in Asgard?" She asked. Rebecca sighed.

"Come with me, I'll tell you what happened. Do you drink tea?" She asked, tense but kind. Wanda nodded and followed the other woman towards the kitchen. Clint waited until they both disappeared and took a deep breath.

"If you guys seriously think we can trust her..." He began, but was cut short by Kate.

"Billy is powerless, in Asgard, at the ends of one of our worst enemies. Tommy has been abducted. They cut his finger off!" She shouted, causing Tony to shush. "Wanda came out of hiding, so I guess it's safe to say we can trust her. Please Clint." She ended her sentence with her voice trembling. Clint shook his head with a groan and exited the room. Teddy instantly went to Kate and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll save Tommy." He promised. Kate looked at him and exhaled shakily. Her face fell and she started crying, bitter tears pouring out of her eyes. "We'll save him." Teddy repeated quietly, sadness and fear washing all over him. "We'll save him."

***

**ASGARD**

Billy waited nervously in Heimdall's observatory. Thor was smiling brightly at his right, while Loki was fidgeting nervously at his left. He rubbed the front of the sleeveless marine blue asgardian tunic he was wearing. It was one of Loki's and the god had graciously offered him some of his old clothing.

"I used to wear them as a boy. But seeing how skinny you got, there's no difference." Loki had said with a shit eating grin. So now Billy was standing wearing Loki's old clothes, not knowing what to do with his hands because the leathery tunic had no pockets, cringing at the two fingerless gloves that went all the way up to his biceps. But Loki was right. He was really skinny now. Which was why he had started a work out routine. He was too skinny to be able to sustain a classical spell, that was for sure. The first time he had attempted to do Classical Magic with Strange, he had had to spend three full days in bed before the nausea and general dizziness went away. And, at that time, Billy had been skinny, yes. But not as skinny as he was at the moment.

It had been and exhausting week after Strange had left Asgard. Loki's hands were heavily bandaged. He kept trying new wards that would allow him to use magic on Billy, or to even touch him. Billy had jumped away when he had said that, making Loki frown.

"I don't want to touch you that way!" He had protested with frustration. "Do you know how hard it is for me to judge how much magic is actually left in you without being able to put my hands on you to see if I can feel anything?" He had protested. "And I can't even try to use my Magic to reveal if there are any traces of magic because it doesn't work and I just start hand-jiving right after."

"Well, it's simple. There's no magic left in me." Billy had replied firmly. "So you keep your hands to yourself, and your magic as well." He had said that angrily. He had healing burns all over his body after Loki's little experiments. Loki had turned even more sour about the spell, and since his work to help Billy get his powers back did not progress, he had had the bright idea to teach the basics of sword fighting to Billy. The young man had now bruises to add to the burns.

"Well, you'll at least be able to defend yourself without your powers if you never get them back." Billy had rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to retort that he had been trained in hand to hand combat with none other than Black Widow when he had joined the new S.H.I.E.L.D. But he had remained silent, secretly awed at the idea of learning how to sword fight.

Bad idea. Because even if the swords had been covered with a layer of magic to avoid serious injuries, they still caused pain when they came in contact with him. That, and the fact Billy actually sucked at sword fighting was the main reason why he now walked as if he were eighty, sore all over and skin bluer than the one of a Na'vi. Billy groaned and stopped rubbing the front of the tunic, every muscle in his arm protesting.

"Who's bringing your mother? Strange? Or America?" Loki asked, making Billy turn his face to him.

"Why? Do you prefer one over the other?" The young man taunted. Loki fell silent at that, and grimaced when a star shaped portal appeared in front of them, before being shattered by a foot. America appeared, leading Rebecca Kaplan gently by the shoulder. Rebecca looked around, completely transfixed for a few seconds before her eyes settled on her son, coming to him before stopping.

"I would hug you but..." She mumbled, making Billy smile tenderly.

"I know. How are you, Mom?" He asked, trying to ignore the need he had to pull her in his arms. Rebecca took her glasses off and looked around. She then looked back at him with a little smile.

"If I had known I'd see Asgard..." She chuckled, but her eyes were sad. "Jeff would have loved seeing this." She mumbled quietly, and Billy clenched his jaw. Thor took a step forward.

"Welcome to Asgard." He greeted Billy's mother with a wide grin and Rebecca looked at him with an awkward smile. Thor was overly welcoming in a very clumsy way, probably to prove he did not hold Billy prisoner. America got closer to Billy as Thor started gushing about how honored he was to have Billy's mother in Asgard. She stared at Billy as if she was trying to see right through him and it made him highly uncomfortable. She then gave a sharp nod, crossing her arms over her stars and stripe t-shirt. She still had some scars from the severe burns she had gotten after holding Billy over her shoulder.

"Verdict?" Loki asked mockingly, but he took a step back when America turned to face him.

"He's complete. And he better be." She replied, caressing her knuckles absent mindedly. "Too bad. I wanted to get even." She added, still angry about Loki knocking her out. She licked her lips before focusing back on Billy. "So, who should I bring next week? Kate has been asking me to beat you until you say her name." She declared, and Billy made a face, until he saw the glint in the young woman's light brown eyes.

"You made a joke." He chuckled and the corners of America's mouth shuddered, which was as close to a smile as it got from her. He smiled, affection making his heart clench slightly. It was so good to have friends, and Billy realized how much he had missed that. "Okay, tell Kate you didn't need to beat me up." He added kindly. America nodded and created another portal. She shattered it with a kick and stepped through it before disappearing.

"I insist on giving you a tour, Rebecca Kaplan of Earth!" Thor said, making Billy's mother turn bright red.

"It's really not necessary!" She replied shyly. "I'm good as long as I'm with my son, thanks." But Thor was having none of that. Billy shook his head.

"It's fine, Thor. My mom knows I'm here because I want to stay." He assured, and the god seemed to deflate a little bit. But he flashed another wide smile and rose his hands.

"Then let me at least show you to your room. We made a bedroom next to William's especially for his guests." Rebecca nodded and smiled, a bit stiffly though, but she knew there was nothing she could do to evade the god much longer.

"Okay, then we will start with out training, Billy." Loki announced. "Meet me in the Arena in a few minutes." He left quickly, and Billy went with Thor and his mother. The god put the bags on the large bed and showed the apartment sized bedroom to Billy's mother.

"I need to go to the arena. Do you want to come, or do you prefer to stay here and settle?" Billy asked his mother softly. Rebecca opened her bag.

"The arena?" She asked, her tone getting suspicious. "What are you going to do in an arena?" Thor smiled proudly.

"William is being trained like a real Asgardian. My brother's magic lessons don't seem to progress enough, so he's been teaching Billy how to sword fight." The god declared, making Rebecca grimace and look at her son.

"Sword fighting?" She asked furiously. "Couldn't you pick something less dangerous?" Billy looked down. Thor put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"Your son is not in danger. I've been watching over the lessons to make sure he's not getting hurt. We promised to help him get his powers back." He reminded, which made Rebecca scoff.

"Yes. You promised to help him as long as he fixes your realm. You basically want to keep him alive because he's useful to you, right?" She groaned.

"Mom!" Billy protested, feeling himself turn bright red. Thor looked at Rebecca, completely taken aback.

"What? You can't blame me for not trusting anyone anymore. The last time we put our faith into someone, they drove you insane. And your father got killed by someone who seduced you. So no, I'm not the epitome of rationality right now, and even though you seem like a nice person, Thor, I won't be resting until my son is back on Earth." Rebecca pointed out. "I'm a mother. I want to protect my boy, and I will do anything it takes to keep him safe. I appreciate that you offered him shelter, I really do. But if he gets hurt, I will fall like Ragnarok on your ass." Thor nodded and smiled, but this time, it was not an overly welcoming smile, but a truly appreciative one.

"On my honor, your son shall not be harmed in any way during his stay in my realm, Rebecca Kaplan of Earth. Whomever tries to even lay a finger on him will face my wrath, and the wrath of all my people."

"Then we're good, Thor Odinson of Asgard." Rebecca said firmly. She pushed her glasses up her nose and straightened her blazer as Thor repressed a laugh. "Now, I wish to come to the arena." She stated. "I want to see how well this sword fighting thing works."

Billy felt cold all of the sudden. His mother was going to lose it after she saw how much he sucked.

***

The arena was just a wide circle of sand in Asgard courtyard. The soldiers came here to train for hours every day. Rebecca and Thor sat on one of the stone benches. Billy's mother was fidgeting nervously as she eyed the numerous weapon racks around the arena. Spears, swords, shields, shining brightly in the Asgardian sun, their silvery glow bright enough to hurt the eyes. Billy stepped inside the ring of sand, Loki by his side. He looked up and saw Lady Sif step inside the ring as well, carrying a sword. Loki gave him a wide grin and Billy deflated as he understood.

"No." The former mage muttered, eyes wide as he saw the beautiful woman braiding her long black hair at the other side of the arena. "You cant be serious!" He groaned.

"I am actually." Loki replied. Billy gaped in disbelief.

"I don't want to fight against Sif! She's a warrior goddess! I already suck against you, but against her..." He whispered to Loki who simply handed him a sword.

"Well, maybe you'll try harder then." The god said flatly, an evil smirk on his face. "I told her to give everything she had." He then said before disappearing in a flash of green light and reappearing next to Thor and Rebecca. Billy whipped his head towards Sif. She was a real vision, clad in a silver cuirass over her red Asgardian tunic. She looked at the young man with an eyebrow cocked and picked up her sword, the muscles of her arm flexing as she whirled it, walking slowly in Billy's direction. She studied him for a second and shook her head.

"Can you even lift that sword?" She asked. Billy went bright red and Sif tilted her head. "This is not disdain, William, I am asking you because I know how heavy our swords are, and your arms are thin." She stated. "So tell me if you can't lift this sword, so we can use weapons that would fit your strength better." Billy looked at the sword he was holding and tested its weight. It was not that heavy, but he knew his arms were going protest after a few seconds of wielding it.

"I'm fine." He said shyly, throat going narrow. Sif gave him a nod, her eyes full of apologies.

"Loki told me to not hold back. He said it was important and that it will hasten you helping Asgard. I'm sorry." She replied and charged. Billy managed to parry her first blow, wincing at the metallic sound of their swords clashing, sending a rain of spark around his face, but she rammed into him, shoulder first, and sent him toppling into the dust with a groan. He stayed like that, flat on his back and seeing stars for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath. The goddess appeared in his field of view and extended her hand to him.

"I can't touch you." Billy whispered, but Sif pulled him up. Billy tensed but nothing happened. He looked at Sif with confusion, and yelped when he saw her charge again. He leaped away from her and rose his blade as she turned around, fast and swung her sword in his direction. Their blades collided and the young man felt the shock from the tip of his fingers to his shoulder. He winced, distracted by the pins and needles in his arm, and the goddess used his lack of attention to kick him in the sternum. He fell on one knee, groaning and coughing as he put his hand against his chest, barely registering someone calling his name in a panicked tone.

"It's okay! Enough!" Loki appeared by his side, green eyes narrow. Sif pulled Billy up. The young man coughed again as his mother rushed in his direction with Thor by her side. Loki seemed upset and he crossed his arm as the goddess made Billy sit down.

"What is wrong with you people!" Rebecca shouted and got in between Sif and her son. "You step back!" She commanded. Sif's eyes went wide and she studied Rebecca, looking offended.

"It was just a test, Rebecca." Loki said. "I wanted to see if I could bring back Billy's magic by forcing him into a stressful situation." He explained. Rebecca snarled.

"It's Ms Kaplan. And my son is not a guinea pig." She then turned to Billy, eyes shooting daggers. "You let them beat you up like this?" She asked him, fury making her voice tremble.

"No. It's never like this." The young man replied with another fit of cough. He could still feel Sif's foot against his chest. "I'm gonna remember that." Thor looked at his brother like he wanted to murder him.

"Never again." He warned. "If you want to change something about William's training, you'll ask me first."

"Sure." Loki grunted. He turned around and left, as Sif knelt in front of Billy. She pried the sword from his hand and put it aside, before putting a gentle hand on his wrist.

"I apologize for this. I thought you knew what Loki had in mind. I should have known better." She patted him on the shoulder, and once again, Billy winced. Rebecca looked at the goddess' hand and frowned. Billy looked up at Thor and Sif, trying to understand why they could touch him while everyone else could not. He thought and thought, going from one theory to another, but none of them satisfied him. But since Sif could touch him, maybe there was something he could do.

"Billy..." His mother intervened with a warning tone. The young man shook his head, clenching his jaw.

"What? I suck at sword fighting. I know sparring will help me put back some muscle on my body. I can't sustain a single spell being that skinny, and seeing how I ended when I used Chaos Magic, I can tell you that I will keep myself away from it. I'll stick to Classical Magic from now on, that's why I need to train." He explained, trying to remain calm. It was a lie, of course. When he regained his powers, he would cast one last Chaos Magic spell. He would bring his father back, and never dab into this stuff again. But that he could not tell anyone. He knew what bringing someone that was dead back to life meant. It was a dark feat that would taint his soul forever and make him lose his future Sorcerer Supreme status. But he did not care, he knew everyone would disapprove, and that was why he kept silent and suffered through everything Loki threw his way.

Strange's spell, on the other hand was becoming a problem. Billy had tried meditation, and when he had come on the brink of astral projection, it had felt like something had punched him back to reality. It was the same with magical gestures, and incantations. It was either Billy forgot what to do halfway through the casting, or his hands started shaking uncontrollably. And his tongue went numb as soon as he started to chant. Loki was getting more and more frustrated, which explained why he had asked Sif to replace him in his sword fighting lessons. The plan had fell flat again. As always when it came to magic, they did not leave square one.

"I'm really sorry." Sif said. "But if you want, yes. I can be your sparring partner."

"Good. Let's start then." Billy decided, getting up. The goddess' eyebrows shot up and she looked at Rebecca and Thor. Rebecca shook her head violently.

"No. I refuse to see you get beat up!" She protested. "I think you had enough for today already." Billy looked at his mother, flabbergasted.

"We started ten minutes ago." He pointed out. "Mom, you know I've seen worse, right? It's okay, I won't get hurt permanently." He tried to reassure Rebecca who huffed.

"I'm really starting to have second thoughts about letting you trying to get your powers back." She declared, and held her son's gaze to make sure he had gotten her point. She expected to see him blush, maybe look down in embarrassment, but he only kept his warm brown eyes locked with hers, bright with resolve. So she pursed her lips, irritated. "Fine. Have it your way. But I really disapprove."

Billy looked at Sif who started removing her armor. After all that had happened, his mother wanted him to be safe. He hated himself for what he was putting her through. But he had to do it. To bring his dad back and bring Casey to justice. Sif let her armor fall in the sand and looked at him questioningly.

"Shall we?" Billy ran a hand through his hair and got up on his feet. He looked at the goddess as she shifted into a fighting stance. And suddenly something clicked, it felt familiar, and Billy felt more secure than he had been in the past month. He felt a smile creep on his face and positioned himself lifting his hands at chin-level.

"Bring it on."

***

Rebecca shuddered awkwardly in front of her plate. No, she was not angry at Billy, not at all. She was angry at Tony Stark, and Wanda for making her promise she would not tell her son about Tommy and the only thing she could do was obey because if she did not, there was no doubt Billy would rush back to Earth in order to save his twin brother. Wanda had also asked her to keep her presence a secret, and that was something that had truly angered Rebecca. Whatever caused the strain in Billy's and Wanda's relationship, her son needed his other mother. It sometimes made her feel jealous that Wanda could probably understand Billy better as they shared the same powers and were plagued by the same mental illness, and even if she could understand his issues, being a psychologist, the power thing was unknown territory to her, even with all these years spent trying to understand, and with her two other sons being mutants as well. Rebecca Kaplan sometimes wished there was a text book for raising super powered children. It was already hard before, when Jeff was still by her side. But now that he was dead, she felt like she was toeing on the edge of a wide and dark abyss that was crumbling under her feet. Her chest ached as she thought of her beloved husband, her wonderful Jeff. He had always been the rock of the family, always taking everything that came to them without flinching, and always keeping her steady and grounded when she was starting to feel like everything was too much for her.

She looked up and saw Billy smile on the other side of the table as Sif was telling him a story of a battle they led when Thor and herself were youngsters and she felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. This goofy smile was Jeff's. The same. And she looked down with emotion. Billy's was Wanda's son, for sure. But he was definitely hers and Jeff's as well. She realized that Billy was a wonderful mix of all of them. The good, and the bad. Wanda's magic and will to make everything right despite having everything working against them, but also her guilt complex and mental issues. Jeff's smile, his nose and slightly protruding ears, his love for mythology and open mind, and if Jeff's nerdiness was something he hid well, Billy wore his with pride. But he also had this tendency to put his foot into it and trouble to express himself. Billy had Rebecca's eyes, a warm brown with flecks of gold, her protective nature and he was brash when needed, just like her. But, just like her, he tended to overthink, letting his brain do all the work until he finally found an answer that concurred.

Rebecca let out a tired sigh, and looked up at Thor as he slid in the seat next to hers. The god gave her a gentle smile and put his golden cup down, before rubbing his two broad hands together.

"Your son is a brave young man, Rebecca Kaplan of Earth." He remarked. "I am terribly sorry for your loss. I heard William speak about how your husband loved the stories about my people. He died fighting for what was right, protecting his son with honor like an Asgardian would have done, which is why you and your family will always be welcome here, may you seek shelter, or simply want to take a day off Earth. We will always be indebted to William if he fixes our realm." Rebecca listened and nodded, her throat narrow.

"I sometimes wish he didn't get his powers back." She muttered with shame. "I've seen what Magic has done to him. I've seen what being a super hero has done to him. And I wish it stopped. But I know this is selfish. And seeing him getting knocked back by your friend without being able to do anything... It hurt. Hence my reaction, and I wanted to apologize for that. I know you would not hurt him, but..."

"But you're a mother, and it is natural for a mother to want her child safe." Thor finished for her, grabbing his cup and taking a sip from it. "We did not feel insulted." Rebecca nodded nervously. She took a glance at Billy, who had a bruise blossoming on one of his cheekbones. It made something clench in her belly and she grimaced, the pain almost too harsh to handle. She turned to Thor, locking eyes with the god.

"Can you promise me you will do anything to keep him safe?" She asked in a tiny voice, aware she was overstepping. But Thor bowed his head.

"On my honor, Madam. Nothing will harm your son, and if harmed he shall be, I will personally avenge him with all the strength I have."

"Thank you." Rebecca breathed out, letting all the tension that had been building during the past month leave her body just a bit. Thor flashed her a kind smile.

"You're welcome, Rebecca Kaplan of Earth." 

And just with that, a genuine smile appeared on Rebecca's face. She would still worry about her son, but she now had Thor's words as a guaranty for Billy's security. And that made her feel a bit more at peace. The world was definitely going crazy, but that was a tiny piece of hope, and she had to hold on to it. She hoped the others, back on Earth, were going to save Tommy and stop Casey before Billy came back, then he and his brothers would be able to live a normal life, away from the dangers of the super hero life and the stigma of being mutants.

***

**RYKER'S ISLAND, NEW YORK**

Cassie fought the urge to giggle as she flew through the air vent, as small as a bee. Tony had truly outdone himself with the suit he had designed for her. The fabric was a purplish red with two oblique bands on her ribs. Tony had kept the design she used to have on her chest on her previous costume, the same her dad used to have on his Ant-Man costume. A black disk on her chest, with a black band going down her abdomen and stopping at bellybutton-level.

"What do you want, Princess?" Tony had asked with a mischievous smile as they were both sitting in his workshop. Cassie had given him a big toothy grin.

"I want to change." She had replied. "In the eyes of the government, Stature died many years ago. So I think we should keep my presence a surprise." Tony had squeezed her forearm with affection at that before going back to the gauntlets he was building. He had then taken a screwdriver and started working, the weird goggles he was wearing sending an eerie looking green light around his head. "You know what I always wanted, but couldn't do because I always tended to grow during fights instead of shrinking?" She had asked, an amused smile blossoming on her lips as she kept her eyes on him. Tony had shaken his head and Cassie had giggled fondly, because the man looked like a mad scientist. "Fly. I've always wanted to fly. So maybe I could have wings like the Wasp used to?"

And she had gotten her wings. And the gauntlets as well. Tony had been way ahead of her, as it turned out. He had even designed a helmet to protect her head. And to conceal her face, because as he had said 'a domino mask was a bad call then, but nowadays, it's like wearing nothing at all.'

Now, Cassie's only problem was to find a new name, because, like she had said, Stature had died many years ago. And her urge to laugh was caused by all of her comrades trying to come up with a name through the ear coms they were all wearing.

"I kind of like Hornet." Kate said, to which Cassie replied with 'ew'. The young woman flew against the ceiling of the prison trying to remember which cell held the man they were looking for.

"Ant-Wasp?" Eli proposed, sounding absolutely not convinced. Cassie rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? Can't do better, Eli?" She asked teasingly, flying lower and suddenly losing balance. "Shit!' She cursed and tried to fly back up, but she failed and crashed on the ground.

"Cassie, are you okay?" Teddy asked urgently. Cassie stayed face down and groaned.

"I still need to figure out this flying thing." She replied and got up, checking her surroundings. "Okay. I think I'm in the right hallway. What was the number of his cell again?"

"Strange said he was in cell 616." Clint said. "Remember, you simply deactivate the electronic lock and you get out Cassie. Wanda and Strange will take care of the rest."

"I know, I know. Don't worry about me, I'm as small as a bee. Nobody will notice me." She promised. "How's that distraction doing?"

"Kate and I are ready." Clint replied, tense. "Please, hurry up, Cas'."

"And I'm in the boat. Ororo is starting to lift the fog." Eli announced.

Cassie nodded. She lunged the wall, looking at the numbers displayed on the glass of the cells. She stopped when she saw the one they were looking for and pushed her shoulders backwards. The captors in the suit reacted and her wings started moving. She flew upwards and landed on the electronic lock.

"Found him. I'll just blast the lock. Are you all ready?" She asked.

"Go." Kate replied. "On three. One, two, three."

Cassie heard the explosion and smiled when the man in the cell perked up. She extended her hands and blasted the lock which turned off with a crackle and a rain of spark.

"Wanda?" She said. The power went out and the cells opened, surprising every prisoner in them. "Strange?" Cassie called as she flew inside the cell before growing to her normal size. The man jumped to his feet, his mouth opening on a wide gasp. But he quickly regained countenance when a portal appeared on the wall. Cassie grabbed him and led him through the circular door, greeted by Stephen Strange who was moving his hands in a flurry of magical gestures, and at his right, Wanda who instantly started chanting. A swirl of scarlet light surrounded the man before sinking inside him. It then came out of him through every pore of his skin to form a perfect double of him, except his eyes were devoid of any humanity. Right besides Wanda, Teddy opened a suitcase and threw clothes at the man.

"Change." He commanded before he shifted, turning himself into another double of the man. The man stripped quickly, and Teddy took his prisoner uniform before slipping into it. The man lifted an eyebrow and looked at his two doubles. "It's because you will die tonight. The magic double has everything of you, except the mind." He explained with a cocky grin. "They'll find your body in the river." He added, before he rushed through the portal. Cassie waited until the man was fully clothed and grabbed him by the arm. Wanda looked at her magical construct and flicked her fingers towards it. A wave of scarlet light floated to its head and it started walking. Wanda smiled and moved her hands once more, walking along with the construct. And they both turned invisible. Strange closed the portal. He took a deep breath and turned around, before creating another one. Cassie led the man through it, and they came out of the portal to land on a boat, in the middle of a thick fog.

Ororo smiled at them, her eyes fully white. She turned around and waved towards the cabin. A low rumble echoed as the engine of the boat started and Cassie removed her helmet, pleased to see the shocked expression of the man's face.

"Yup, I'm alive. Come on, I'm sure you're dying to know who's driving the boat." She said. The man followed her to the cabin and started chuckling when he saw the people inside.

"You're probably the craziest sons of bitches I've ever known." He said. Natasha looked at him above her shoulder and grinned.

"Happy to see you to, Nick." She replied, and started driving the boat.

***

Teddy proceeded through the fight without paying attention. The only thing he needed was to get out, and make sure he was being followed by some of the guards. Fury needed a glorious death. And that meant he needed to get shot at least five times. He jumped above two of the prisoner that were beating up a guard and he grimaced, ignoring his instincts that were screaming at him to help the man. He rushed through the hallway.

"Fury's in the boat." Natasha said and he picked up the pace. He slammed into a guard, sending him toppling on the ground. He did not look back and kept running as the guard shouted at him.

"Good. I'm doing my best to get noticed over here." Teddy replied as quietly as he could. He ran into another guard and elbowed him in the face. He looked back and saw that there were now three of them chasing him. "Wow, I've never that many boys running after me." He commented with an ironic smile.

"Teddy, focus!" Kate scolded him as he heard Cassie giggle. The shape shifter was about to retort when the first gun shot rang loud in the hallway. He rolled on his shoulder to avoid the bullet, even though he knew he did not risk anything, but it was just for show. If Teddy was bulletproof, Fury was not.

"The magic double is ready." Wanda announced grimly. Teddy started running faster and smiled when he saw the main entry of the prison. It was destroyed, Kate and Clint had done a fine job with explosives. A few prisoner had made it that far and were now fighting the guards in a violent storm of fists and blood. Teddy heard another gunshot and grimaced when he saw one of the prisoner fall to the ground with a red spot on his chest. He leaped over a flaming pile of ruble and groaned when he landed on his knees.

"Hey, you!" A guard shouted as he saw Teddy who quickly ran for it and jumped through the broken doors. He was outside, the cool night air caressing his face as he kept running, stealing glances above his shoulder from time to time. Ten agents were after him and as Teddy ran further and further away from the prison, they started shooting at him.

"Fireworks!" Teddy hissed. It was the signal they had convened on with Wanda.

"On it!" She replied. She just needed to make sure Teddy would only be hit once he reached the end of the island. He felt bullets swerve around him as the guards kept shooting and shooting. The young man was starting to feel his lungs burn, but he took a deep breath, trying to fight the sensation. Teddy looked right ahead, seeing the edge of the island come closer and closer. He exhaled shakily and tried to keep focused. And he did. He was so focused on getting there that he did not notice the rock and tripped over it and crashed down with a yelp. He winced when he felt his wrist break. But he quickly got up as the guards came closer and closer.

"Wanda, right wrist, broken." He instructed, holding his arm against his chest. He heard her growl, and then he heard something snap.

"This thing is made of flesh, Teddy. I'd rather not have to break more bones if you don't mind." She ranted. "It's really disturbing." Teddy held back a shiver as he thought of the flesh construct that looked exactly like Fury. "Thank god it's not alive." Wanda whimpered.

"I'm almost there." Teddy panted. Only a few feet, he thought, when the first bullet hit his shoulder and he groaned. "Wanda, bullet!" He groaned. The witch let out a ragged breath.

"Teddy! Are you okay?" Eli asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Shoulder. I'll heal." The second bullet hit him in the calf and he fell down. "Fuck. My. Leg!" He grumbled, the pain burning like a livewire. He got back up and started limping, blinking back the tears that were slowly clouding his vision.

"Teddy!" Cassie outcried, and the shape shifter heard Kate hold back a whimper.

"Fuck, Ted, get out of here now!" Natasha commanded.

"Can't. I'm not mortally wounded yet." Teddy replied stubbornly. He could already feel his wounds knit back together. Just a few feet more, He thought. The next bullet hit him in the arm and he actually whined.

"Altman! Fall back, this is an order!" Fury suddenly barked, and Teddy giggled darkly. He reached the edge of the island and turned around. The ten guards stopped as well, weapons at the ready.

"No offense, sir. But you're not my boss." He replied, and with a dark grin, he lifted his hands, and rose his two middle fingers at the guards before taking a step back towards the edge.

"Did you just..." He heard Kate say in disbelief, before a rain of bullets hit him in the chest and stomach. Teddy let himself fall backwards over the edge. His head was spinning, he knew he was going to lose consciousness soon. His eyelids were heavy when he collided with the water. He did not get the time to even think about it, because as soon as he started sinking, a net of red light pulled him out of the river safely on the bank, his surroundings turning dull, almost colorless, the sounds a distant muffle. Wanda was kneeling by his side with her hazel eyes wide and full of tears.

"Hold on..." She whispered, but it came out almost too loud to handle in the concealed space she had created. She studied his wounds and with a delicate gesture of her fingers, she extracted the bullets from his body, her magic washing over Teddy and mending his wounds, the pain receding like a wave. The shape shifter sighed in relief as Wanda kept the bullets hovering over her palm in a cloud of red energy. "You're gonna be alright, sweetie." She promised tenderly, and even though Teddy knew he was not in danger, being invulnerable and all, it still felt good to be reassured. Wanda turned to her flesh construct and propelled the bullets towards it, making them pierce its skin in the exact same places Teddy had been shot. She then sent the magic double in the water, and made it sink. She looked at it as it disappeared and let out a ragged breath. Teddy rose on his elbows, shaking a bit as he shifted back. Wanda turned to him and with a fit of affection, a need to protect, she wrapped him in his arms and held him tightly, rocking him against her chest. "You stupid, brave, wonderful boy..." She choked. Teddy felt his throat go narrow at that and he closed his eyes not to start crying. He was not brave. Nor wonderful. But he was stupid. And having the woman wrapped around him in a motherly embrace made the shame that had slightly died down since he had talked with Billy come back with full force. Probably because she was Billy's soul-mother. But it also felt good in a way that it had not felt in years, since his mother died. He barely registered the yelling voices in his ear.

"ANSWER US! IS HE OKAY?" Natasha yelled furiously.

"ALTMAN, I SWEAR..." Kate added.

"He's fine." Wanda croaked. "We're going to teleport as soon as he can get up. Who came up with that stupid plan again?" She chuckled, as relief slowly washed over her. Teddy felt a single tear roll down his cheek as a smile blossomed on his lips.

"I did." He replied and Wanda let out a nervous chuckle.

Teddy chuckled as well, and closed his eyes, the tension easing softly between his shoulder blades as he allowed himself to rest, just for a few seconds.

***

Lloyd Casey looked at the corpse, his features distorted by rage. Nick Fury. The son of a bitch had managed to slip out of his grasp by getting killed. At least, that was what everyone thought. But He knew the man in front of him was not Fury. His intuition was screaming, loud like a siren, and that made him want to grab the forensic and beat him to a bloody pulp to show him he was wrong, and that the corpse on the table was not the former director of the S.H.I.E.L.D. And he could not tell anything, because that would mean admitting he was a mutant. And he could not do that. The Avengers had managed to play him, despite giving order to reinforce all of the prisons securities after he had gotten the hunch that they would attack soon. The fact they were apparently still undecided on which prison to attack had left him blind though. And he hated the fact that his abilities required a clear intent in order for him to foresee it. With a snarl, he went out of the prison morgue, and dialed his phone. When his interlocutor picked up, he lost his calm.

"Do what you must, but I want them all in our cells!" He shouted. "Bring Rogers to the Headquarters. Make him talk! I want him to confess before next week! And send the bitch another finger. Hell! Send her a whole hand if you have to! I want them to be exposed! How come we haven't found any proof of their involvement with Fury?"

He knew he was not being rational. He knew he could not get any of the people he had enhanced to testify against the Avengers, they were still operating under the cover of Hydra, not his project in creating his own team of Avengers that would get rid of all the super heroes of the planet and then leave him with full control of Earth. These super heroes were a plague, and it needed to be exterminated. They had lost Wiccan, the man with enough power to erase his project from existence. And now they had lost one of the two men that could cause the fall of the Avengers, even if his death was fake.

"I don't care how you do it, Alleyne. Rogers needs to talk, and the Avengers need to expose themselves. You have carte blanche. I want them dead. All of them." He then hung up and let out a shaky breath. He ran a hand on his face, wiping the sweat away. They were this close to having the plans to build Sentinels. He started daydreaming about how easy it would be to track super powered individuals then, and this thought almost managed to calm him. Almost. Because, somewhere at the back of his mind, a dreadful thought started creeping.

Billy Kaplan, Sorcerer Supreme and Demiurge.

***

**ASGARD- WEEK THREE**

Billy rolled on his shoulder and groaned as the pain shot harshly through his collarbone. Sif had taken control of his daily workout sessions, and she was now his sparring partner. He was sore, and nauseous. She had changed his eating habits as well, and he was now rolling on a diet full of proteins to favor the muscle growth. Most of the food made him want to puke, but he was grateful. At least, with Sif, it actually felt like he was making progress.

A progress that was still not showing in any of Loki's training session. He had tried inducing a trance with a weird mixture, but Billy had vomited the potion as soon as it had reached his stomach. And Loki had lost it. He had stopped respecting his promise to Thor, and had started pushing Billy into situations that were more dangerous than the one before. The last one had almost managed to kill Billy. Loki had taken him to one of the forests surrounding the city, pretending he wanted to find a flower that could boost any kind of magic potential, and he had left Billy alone in the middle of a clearing, a clearing full of beasts that had attacked as soon as they had seen the former mage. Billy could still remember the horned and scaly creatures, snarling and drooling as they chased him through the forest.

Billy remembered tripping over a root, and as soon as he hit the ground, one of the creatures had jumped on him, its huge paws stopping him from moving, as the contact had started to burn Billy. And as the creature had sunk its head to swallow him, Thor had saved him. The same night, he had forbidden Loki to approach Billy without him being present, and the god had been sitting with the both of them through all of Loki's unsuccessful attempts at bringing Billy's magic back.

Billy got back to his feet, and lunged at Sif, who blocked the punch aimed at her jaw. Billy twisted his wrist and held the goddess' tight before he sent his knee in her stomach. He was still furious at what Loki had done to him. Sif choked and bent forwards. Billy swerved around her and put his hand flat at the back of her head before starting to choke her with his other arm. Sif struggled but he held on. She finally tapped twice on his elbow and he let go, panting and sweating heavily. Sif coughed, chuckling as she bent forwards, hands on her knees.

"You're a formidable fighter William." She commented, and looked up at him. Billy lifted his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth. Sif's earlier strike had split his lip, and he could still taste iron in his mouth. He smiled weakly, eyes full of apologies.

"Sorry about that." He muttered, but Sif chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. Billy's first instinct was to duck, but he remembered the goddess could touch him. So he let her.

"I think we've had enough for today." She decided. "We need to get ready for our guest." She reminded him, and Billy smiled when he thought of Kate. But his smile faltered quickly when he remembered that, just like everyone else, Kate would not be able to touch him. And despite the friendly pats he got from Sif, or Thor, he craved real physical contact. A hug from his mother or from his friends would be welcome. The truth was that he felt lonely. He spent most of his time in the Arena with Sif, or with Loki, and when he was not with any of the two, he was concealed to his room. It was his fault, of course. He knew his presence was a burden, he did not want to add more on Thor especially now that he had promised his mother to keep an eye on him. But Billy craved contact. For the first time since the loss of his powers, Billy was actually thinking about giving up.

He was tired. Tired of being away from his family. He missed being surrounded by his friends, he missed his mother more than ever before. He missed his brothers and their newfound abilities. He missed Stephen and his severe stare.

He missed Teddy. More than he wanted to admit. Billy had been sincere when he had said he wanted them to become friends again. His nights were still haunted by what his future self had told him, and the mere thought of Teddy being out of his life 'for good' terrorized him. Because there was so many ways to interpret this sentence. Was Teddy going to die in ten years? Was he going to be made prisoner by Casey? Was he going to leave Earth?

That last thought made Billy wince. He did not want Teddy to leave, he thought selfishly. But he also did not want to be with him. Not after what he had done in the past. And yet he still loved the shape shifter with all that he had. But these feelings were forever tainted by what David had done to them, by the mutual pain they had inflicted each other in the past few months.

Teddy had called him a coward. Billy had rubbed his mistakes in his face.

It was better this way. Even if that last statement was a lie.

Billy took a bath and slipped one of Loki's old tunics on. This one was black and golden, and Billy was delighted to notice it was starting to feel tight around him. Sif's training sessions were really starting to pay off. He then joined Thor in the observatory. The god smiled warmly and put a hand on his shoulder. Billy had to resist the urge to lean into the touch, and his throat narrowed. He then straightened himself and clenched his jaw, waiting for America's star shaped portal to appear.

But it did not come this time. Instead, a circular window made of golden light bloomed inside the dark observatory, reflected over every surface. Stephen stepped out, along with Kate who instantly started crying when she saw Billy, heavy sobs coming out of her. Billy felt his eyes sting and he took a step forward as his heart literally ached.

The young woman had been his anchor during the past eight years. She had been the one who stuck with him when the world had gone crazy after Demise Day. Billy choked as they looked at each other and he rose his hand to wipe his cheeks.

"Hey Katie." He said, his voice hoarse. Kate sobbed harder and lifted her arms in his direction, and the young man's heart broke again. He smiled painfully through his tears. "Come on, you know it's not safe to touch me." He tried to reason, even if his body screamed with the need to pull his best friend in a tight embrace.

"It is now." Strange declared, moving his hands. A faint golden light briefly surrounded Kate and she looked at herself, and then at Strange who slipped into the portal. When he came back, he was holding Rebecca by the arm. He repeated his magical gestures, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "If you want to hug, I suggest you do it now. These wards take a lot of strength to maintain, and two people at the same time is too much." He grunted. Kate did not have to be told twice, just like Rebecca. Both women rushed to Billy and wrapped him in a tight hug. Billy went limp. It felt warm. They both smelled good. He did not try to hold back his sobs and hugged the two women of his life fiercely. "I am sorry it took so long for me to figure out how to use these wards on someone else than the caster." He muttered. "I hope it will not be a problem that I brought two people today, Thor." He said, but the god shook his head, moved by the scene. Strange was getting paler and paler. Billy lifted his head to look at him.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He said. He then looked at his mother, and Kate, still crying, but with a smile on his lips. "Okay. I think we should let Stephen remove the wards now." He mumbled with regret. Kate's embrace went tighter, and Rebecca kissed his cheek and forehead. Billy felt a sob come up again, but he saw the Sorcerer Supreme turn ashen and he moved away. Strange moved his fingers and removed the wards with a sigh of relief. A drop of blood came out of his nose and he wiped it on his sleeve. "Thank you." Billy said, and his former mentor gave him a small nod. Thor took a step forward and helped him up, before he pulled Kate and Rebecca gently to their feet.

"Oh well. Now that you're here, you might as well share our table." He decided. "But just this once. I really am sorry, but my people are already nervous that I receive one of you per week. After having been banned from Earth, they fear invasion. Especially now that Magic is unstable in our realm."

"We understand." Rebecca promised. "You don't have to worry, we know what we agreed on." Thor nodded.

"Then follow me." He decided, and led the way out of the observatory.

***

The atmosphere was light and warm during dinner. They ate together, sharing news and stories, and Billy was surprised to catch himself laughing a few times. But after they finished, Thor led Rebecca and Stephen back to the observatory. Billy tried to keep quiet, but he could not hold it anymore. He waited until Thor left them alone to say their goodbyes, and turned to face his former mentor.

"So? Any news about why Thor can touch me despite the spell?" He asked quietly, as Stephen worked his way through the spell that would produce the portal. The Sorcerer mispronounced one of the words, and the light around his hand died. He flashed Billy an annoyed look and shook his head. He took a deep breath.

"I thought you would have figured it out by now." He countered, always trying to make Billy use his own brain instead of giving him the answer right away. The young man cocked an eyebrow. He had thought about it everyday since the day he had set foot on Asgard. But nothing seemed plausible. Strange clicked his tongue impatiently.

"I designed the spell to make sure no magic user could harm you. Every human, given the proper training, can learn how to use magic. Which is why your family and friends can't touch you. I protected you from harm in the most complete way, which is why any form of sentient life can't touch you. Thor can because he is a higher being, it's as simple as that. If you crossed path with Ms Jean Grey, she would be able to touch you as well, being the vessel of the Phoenix Force. My spell is like every other spell. It has loopholes, and you managed to find one. Loki cannot touch you for two reasons. Do you remember the norse runes?" Strange asked. Billy nodded, his brow furrowing. "They are supposed to keep giants at bay. It was a real drag, because the runes did not agree with the rest of the spell, and I had to work night and day in order to make sure it would function. I started working on that spell ever since Loki arrived. The second reason, I explained to you earlier. Being a Master of the Mystic Arts, Loki can not hurt you in any way." Billy nodded, a smile blossoming on his face. That had been well thought, especially after what his future self had told him that night, almost a month ago. And Billy hated himself for using Loki like that, but his older self had been clear. Loki could not be trusted.

But what if his future self was the one who could not be trusted? Doubt sing-songed in his mind, and Billy almost succumbed, as always. But he remembered the older version of himself had the Eye of Agamotto around his neck. Now, the Eye did not respond to an evil user's commands. Billy had been too shocked to put much thought into it, but now that he had settled down, it came to him, crystal clear.

He still did not know what he would do with Loki after he got his powers back. He still resented the god for what he had done to Teddy and him. But he still did not think he had it in him to bind Loki's powers, especially if he was the one who helped him regain them. Billy had made terrible choices in the past. He did not want to go down that path again. So his decision was to keep Loki at arms-length, figuratively speaking. It was not like Loki was going to attempt anything soon anyway, given how poorly his attempts at lighting a spark inside the former mage went. Stephen gave him a sharp nod.

"You take care of yourself, Billy." He said dryly, before he created a portal. Rebecca smiled tenderly. She seemed tense, for some reason, but the young man assumed it was because she was leaving.

"I'll tell the others you're okay." She declared, but it sounded off. Billy frowned, and opened his mouth to ask her if she was okay, but Stephen put a hand on her shoulder, eyes shooting daggers. And that was not right. Billy cocked his head, a suspicious crease appearing between his eyebrows.

"We have to leave, Rebecca." Stephen stated, and slowly led Billy's mother through the portal. They disappeared, and Billy turned to Kate, who looked at him, radiating innocence. But she was tense as well.

"Okay. What is it?" He asked in a threatening tone as the portal closed with a splutter behind him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Was all Kate said, before turning around to walk out of the observatory. And, really, her answer was too high-strung to be sincere. Billy frowned and went after her.

"Kate?" He called her, his voice sharp.

"Don't insist, Billy! There's nothing." She replied angrily. "Nothing you need to worry about anyway." She added. The young man scoffed, and extended his hand to grab her arm, before remembering it would hurt the both of them.

"Seriously? We're hiding things from each other now?" He asked in disbelief, dread slowly settling in the pit of his stomach. "Has something happened?" He asked her vehemently, and she whipped around, making him stop dead in his track.

"We broke Fury out of jail, and we're terrorists now apparently!" She exclaimed furiously. "There! Happy?" She growled, shaking. Billy went ashen and he stood there, his body going hot then cold as what his best friend had just said reached his brain.

"You what?" He croaked. Kate shrugged, and that made him see red. "This is exactly what Casey want, damnit! How could you all do that? He want us out of the picture! Jackson told me he had a personal vendetta against us, and you go giving him the reason he needs to be able to wipe us all out for good?" He thundered. Kate simply cocked an eyebrow.

"He has no proof that it was us." She stated coldly, and Billy got the urge to slap himself to make sure he was not dreaming.

"Are you serious?" He shrieked. "You had to do something in order to be called terrorists! What did you do, Kate?" He asked.

"We blew the entry of Ryker's Island prison. And we faked Fury's death. Casey and the government spoke about a terrorist attack from former super heroes. But there's no proof it was us. Clint and I left our arrows behind and used makeshift bombs."

"Makeshift bombs?" Billy repeated in disbelief. "Oh my God, Kate!"

"And thanks to Teddy and W... Stephen, we managed to make them think they had killed Fury as he tried to escape. We had everything figured out." She finished, her eyes wide. She looked at him as he understood. She saw it in his eyes, and felt a chill run up her spine when Billy's brown eyes went dark with disgust and wrath.

"Were you about to say 'Wanda', Kate? When you slipped up. Were you about to say 'Wanda'?" He roared, and Kate winced, looking down, her cheeks going bright red. Billy exhaled loudly, his gaze turning murderous. "Are you telling me that my dear soul-mommy waited for me to leave Earth to come back to New York?" He snarled, his skin prickling all over his body. Kate took a deep breath, when Billy suddenly remembered what Kate had said when she had put her foot in it. "And what did Teddy and Mommy-dear do in order to make everyone believe Fury had died?" Kate shook her head, terrified. "Answer me, Katherine Elizabeth Bishop!" He roared, pins and needles in his fingers.

"Teddy turned himself into Fury. Wanda created a magical double, made of flesh and bone, but not alive. Teddy pretended to be Fury and escaped from Ryker's Island. And then he got shot intentionally. Wanda then replaced him with her flesh construct." Kate replied in a tiny shaking voice.

"A FLESH CONSTRUCT??!!?? TEDDY GOT SHOT??!!??" Billy exploded.

And he exploded, literally. His skin erupted like fireworks, electricity arcing around him like a knot of furious snakes, sparks flying everywhere in a hot, white-blue hurricane, crackling loudly as Billy shouted, his electrokinetic powers lashing out like never before. It was a rush to the head, and Billy finally let out all the pain and anger he had been feeling since the death of his father, since he had been stranded to Asgard, since his future self had dumped all of this unwanted information on him, since he had been forced to work with Loki who had an agenda, because he always did, since the loss of his mind, since he had been treated as Wanda 2.0, since Jackson had used him, since Teddy had broken his heart, since he had betrayed Tommy, who needed trustworthy people above everything else.

Kate screamed in terror as lightning struck around her in a perfect circle. But not a single one of them hit her. The lightnings shattered the ground around her, and the air was saturated with the smell of ozone, as well as a thick cloud of dust. She looked at Billy at the center of the electric storm he had created and she let out a shaky breath. Her best friend let his head fall backwards and his sudden power surge suddenly died down around him, leaving him with smoke coming off of him and a bewildered expression on his face. When he looked around, Billy gasped. He had literally thrashed the path that was connecting Heimdall's observatory to the palace. His skin was still prickling, and he could feel the static that was making his body crackle faintly. Billy let out a wry chuckle and shook his head.

"If I had known all it took was to lose it..." He muttered as a single spark flew off his thumb with a little sizzling sound. Kate took a little step in his direction and Billy lifted his hands. "Hang on. I need to fix the bridge before Thor falls on my ass." He grumbled. And he pressed his palms flat together before making his right hand slide upwards, bending it over the extended fingers of his left hand. And he then started drawing circles around them with his right hand who started shaking incontrollably.

Nothing happened. Billy frowned, tensing as he felt Kate looking at him expectantly. Billy clenched his jaw and dropped his hands before he gave them a hard shake. He started repeating his gestures, but as he slid his right hand upwards, his mind suddenly went blank, and he was unable to remember what he was supposed to do next.

"What..." He muttered in confusion before he flexed his fingers twice. "I want to fix the mess." He said. And, just like the previous time, nothing happened. Billy's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Kate who seemed as confused as he was.

"But... You just produced lightning..." She whispered tentatively. Billy looked at her, worry painted all over his face. Kate's grey-blue eyes dropped to her best friend's hands. "I mean, your powers are back!" She protested suddenly, making Billy jump, her frustrated tone taking him by surprise. "Why can't you do magic? That's bullshit! You just produced lightning!" She shouted furiously. "Try again."

He command fell harsh and unforgiving in Billy's ear, like a reproach. It was as if she was saying it was his fault. The young man felt anger rise inside him again, reaching another bubbling point. Sparks started cascading out of every pore of his skin.

"I tried!" He retorted. "It's not working!" Billy looked at Kate, whose lips were thin and white. "I don't know what's happening. There's no textbook for this!" Kate let out an angry snarl. "Hey! Will you calm down?" Billy demanded, irritated.

"No! I can't calm down! It's like we're taking one step forward and two steps back!"

Billy clenched his jaw. Kate looked at him defiantly. What was wrong with her? He wondered. First, she attempted to hide things from him, even though she caved in right away, like she always did, and now it was like she was blaming him for not having answers.

"I'm probably as upset as you are about it, if not more!" He remarked. "Excuse me, Kate. I didn't plan this, and like I said, there's no textbook explaining how powers work." Kate deflated and sighed, hunching forward.

"You're right, sorry. I just... I thought it was over, I thought you'd finally come back. I hate not knowing where you are. And with Tommy being... God knows where..." Her voice broke and tears spilled past her eyelids. Billy felt a knot form in his stomach. And a wave of guilt washed over him once again. After the loss of his powers, he had figured Tommy had regained his, just like every people Billy had stripped of their abilities. Tommy had probably run to the other side of the country to be away from his twin brother. "I saw him." Kate revealed, her voice thick with emotions. "While we were looking for a way to give you your powers back. He was with Coat of Arms..." She took a deep breath, and she looked so miserable Billy understood. After Demise Day, and the death of Kitty Pryde, Piotr Rasputin had lost his mind. He had been one of the first to be sent to the death row after using his powers in public.

Kate and Tommy were not together then, but she had told the young man she wished to be "just friends" with him. She had not explained why she would do such thing, and Tommy had been greatly affected, but he had taken her decision without complaining or trying to change her mind. She was a good actress. She really was. Because as far as Billy was concerned, Tommy and her were into each other. He knew there was still some kind of attraction between the two of them, but with the depression Tommy had fallen into because of Billy, and Kate's stubborn attitude, none of them had acted on it. So they had fallen out of it, or so Billy thought.

But the truth was that Kate was madly in love with Tommy. And her shaken state was the proof of the delicate situation she was in. Tommy had disappeared and was seeing someone. She had waited too long, and it was Billy's fault, once again. Had the young woman not taken care of him these past few years, Tommy and her would probably be together right now.

"Then you should leave." Billy decided. "Go look for him." He did not expect the ironic laugh that escaped Kate's mouth. His best friend looked at him.

"No. He left for a reason. And he's probably happier like this." She replied, but she once again sounded off. Billy could not shake the feeling that something was very wrong, but he did not get the time to dwell on that thought. A group of soldier suddenly surrounded them, their weapons at the ready and Billy grimaced.

"What happened here?" One of them shouted.

"Uh, my powers came back?" Billy replied in a tiny voice. The soldiers looked at each others.

"We will take you both to Thor." The one who had shouted replied and they escorted them to the palace.

***

Billy and Kate were sitting with Loki and Thor in what seemed to be a laboratory. There were jars filled with unidentified herbs and animal parts sitting on the floor to ceiling shelves. Kate was looking at Loki expectantly. The god was studying Billy through a large and circular magnifying glass, with the edges cut geometrically, like a diamond. Billy sat on the other side, arms crossed, pouting slightly and looking down. Loki kept putting filters of different color in front of the glass. And each of them revealed another layer of the intricate spell Stephen had put on the young man. It was as if Billy was covered in a huge amount of cobwebs made of golden light.

"Could you produce another lightning, please?" Loki asked flatly, as he took a purple filter. Billy rolled his eyes as Loki held the filter in front of the glass. Billy held his hands up, and let some electricity arc between his fingers. Kate frowned and Loki clicked his tongue. Looking through the filter, it was as if Billy had done nothing at all. "Well, I think it settles it." Loki declared and put the filter down as the lightning disappeared between Billy's finger. The god then turned to Thor and shook his head. "Sorry brother. But these powers are not Magic in their essence." He got up and removed the magnifying glass from Billy's face. The young man looked at his hands with confusion.

"I've always thought it was some kind of elemental Magic..." He muttered. Loki huffed with disdain when he said that.

"There are a lot of mutants with elemental abilities. It doesn't make them magic users." He pointed out. "I think the answer is simpler than this. Your brothers are mutants. Your parents carry the gene, and I think your electrokinetic abilities come from this. Now your soul has been tainted by Magic because you're the reincarnation of the Scarlet Witch's son. But I think you would still be a mutant even without that lineage." Loki said.

"But David took Billy's powers that night." Kate reminded them. Loki nodded and turned to Billy, studying him, hesitant.

"I know you probably don't want to think about that night. But do you remember what David did, or said when he took your powers?" The god asked quietly, and Thor tensed.

And the words that kept haunting Billy came back to his mind, clear as the first time he had heard them.

_No more magic!_

An echo to Wanda's curse. When she had decimated mutant kind, she had spoken three words. Three words that had robbed millions of mutants of their abilities. Three words that nobody could remember without getting a chill down their spine. Three words that had turned Wanda Maximoff into a pariah in the super hero world. Three words that condemned every magic users to an eternal distrust and fear from their powered peers. No more mutants. Three words that had caused more mayhem than anything else in their world.

"He used Wanda's words. But instead of 'mutants' he said 'magic'." Billy replied quietly. Loki shook his head and let out a small chuckle.

"Of course. Well, it was a stupid mistake." He declared and smiled widely. Kate crossed her arms, an eyebrow cocked.

"How so?" She asked. Loki turned around to face her.

"David stated his intent, which was 'no more magic' thinking it would rid Billy of all of his powers. But Chaos Magic is fickle. It's almost a living force. It can, and it will play with words to make the spell work its way, instead of the caster's. Unless you have unbreakable focus. Now, David said 'no more magic' without thinking about Billy's electrkinetic powers. Unless... Unless he doesn't know you also have that kind of powers." Loki finished, turning his face to look at Billy.

"I don't think so. I mean, I don't think he's ever seen me throw lightnings around. It's kinda been a while since I've used this power on the field." Billy replied, his cheeks going a bit red without him knowing why. "And he was already depowered when we met him. So there was no way he could have gotten that piece of information through his powers. But I'm pretty sure my Wikipedia page is stating that I started as an electrokinetic hero that called himself Asgardian." Billy thought out loud.

"Our Wiki pages don't exist anymore. They've been banned after Demise Day." Kate remarked. "So there's no way he knows. Well, except if he got an interest in us before we actually met." Kate shrugged, pensive. She then focused back on her best friend. "It's not important anyway. What matters is that he thinks he took you out. You're maybe not a mage anymore, but you still have powers. So I guess you can come back to Earth now."

Billy grimaced, and he saw Kate's face fall. He was not coming back. Not without his Magic. His project to bring his father back was the reason he had decided to work with Loki, and yes, the god had forced him to come to Asgard. But if it was what it took to get his magic back, he would bid his time, and only come back when they would make some kind of progress. It was what Billy thought of when he felt like giving up. No matter what they did, nothing seemed to work. But it had to, otherwise, he would never see his father again.

And then, there was the promise he had made to Thor. Magic in Asgard was more unstable than the god had first pretended. Most of their 'medical equipment' malfunctioned every time one of the doctors wanted to use it, the lights flickered all the time, and sometimes, when Loki was using magic, his hands would only produce some sparks, or his spells would break without reasons. The Asgardian people could not go on like this. Wild beasts came out of the forests everyday as the shields surrounding the city could not be used as they consumed too much energy, and everyday, the guards came back seriously injured. It was only a matter of time before a catastrophe hit Asgard.

All of that because of Billy, once again.

"No. I'm not coming back." Billy declared. Kate frowned and straightened her spine, the young man continued speaking so she would not attempt to protest. "You haven't seen Asgard, Kate. The loss of my powers affected the magic here. I can't go back. Not until I get my powers back. I made a promise." He finished with pride and looked at Thor whose mouth corners lifted up slightly with gratitude. He then turned to Loki and exhaled, determined.

"let's go to the Arena. I managed to awaken my powers when I got angry. Let's see how furious you can get me." Loki cocked his head, blinking, but he could not hide the spark of interest in his green eyes.

"We've already tried." He replied quietly. But it was just a remark, not a rejection.

"Then let's try again." Billy insisted and walked towards the exit. Kate looked at Loki who simply shrugged and left behind Billy. Thor got up and grabbed Kate's arm as she attempted to follow.

"Do not worry, Kate. I'll be there." He said and Kate flashed him a smile.

"I'm not worried. I'll be there too." She declared proudly, and walked out.

***

It had been a huge mistake to ask for this. Billy ran around the Arena as Loki created doubles of himself to attack him. He did not think twice before shooting a lightning at the one in front of him, disintegrating it in a violent crackling sound.

"Is it the best you can do?" Loki called from behind him and Billy jumped away as a green fireball crashed in the exact place he had been standing, just a few instants ago. "You're not even trying Billy." Loki said and summoned a swarm of green insects before sending them towards the young man. Billy focused and let the electricity surround him in a protective cocoon, the smell of ozone strong in his nose as his hair stood on his skull and skin. The swarm of insect surrounded him and died instantly, electrocuted. He only realized his mistake when his vision was no more clouded, and that Loki hit him violently across the face with a baton, sending him rolling on the sand.

Billy spat blood and got on all four, his head spinning. The taste of iron in his mouth made him want to puke, but he fought the nausea that was swirling in his stomach.

"Yep. I noticed that I couldn't hit you, or cast spells at you because of Strange's protection. But it doesn't seem to protect you from weapons." The god said with a shit eating grin as he lunged at Billy again, three doubles appearing by his side as he attacked. Billy yelped when the one at his right hit his shoulder, but he ducked the one at his left, and sent his fist in the middle one's face without thinking. The illusion faded instantly, but it was enough for Loki to hit him in the back with the baton. Billy groaned and turned around to face Loki, jumping away. "Are you even trying?" Loki laughed. Billy groaned. "Or should I take this a bit further? Clearly, attacking you doesn't seem to get you angry."

And Loki disappeared. Billy was left alone in the arena, and he looked around him in expectation. There was a flash of green by his side, and he suddenly paled. Loki was holding Kate against his body, and the young woman was struggling to break free. Billy gasped and looked at the bench she was supposed to sit. Thor was there, trapped in a green bubble. He was hitting it furiously. Loki then produced a small dagger out of nowhere and held the blade against Kate's skin, and she cursed.

"You're not going to do it." Billy snarled, to which Loki replied with a wide grin, eyes shining madly.

"You think?" He asked, and cut Kate's cheek swiftly. She groaned and Billy rose his hands. "Come on, Billy? How many times will I have to stab her for you to finally use your powers?" He taunted and plunged the blade in Kate's shoulder who let out a muffled cry. Billy felt cold as he saw the blood start to drip down his best friend arm. His hands started shaking. "No?" Loki asked, clearly disappointed. "Okay. Heart? Leaver? Stomach?" He suddenly asked Kate whose struggling grew more and more violent as the god lifted the blade of his dagger again. Billy was paralyzed.

"You're not going to do it." He repeated. Loki huffed and stabbed Kate in the ribs. The scream that came out of her was not human, and it ended in a horrible gurgle. Billy screamed in horror as Loki laughed.

"Woops. Think I got a lung there." He declared as blood came out of Kate's mouth. Billy stood there, frozen on the spot. He rose his hands, but all that came was lightning. "Still no?" Loki asked, as Thor started banging on the walls of his magical cage, shouting threats at his brother. "Then how about..." Loki muttered.

"You're weak."

Teddy's voice. Billy jumped and looked at his right. Teddy stood there, his eyes full of disgust. He locked eyes with Billy and shook his head.

"Your best friend is dying. But you still can't find it in you to even use your power to save her. You're weak. And you're a coward." Teddy looked down. "I wonder how I even fell in love with you. Everyone around you dies. Because you refuse to save them."

Billy roared and exploded. Everything went white in his mind, and around him, and as he came back to himself, he suddenly realized he was hovering a few inches above the ground, lightning arcing around his body furiously. The sand had turned into glass and there was smoke everywhere. Kate and Loki were nowhere to be seen.

"Think fast!" Loki suddenly shouted, but Billy was still in shock to even register as the green bolt hit his head and he lost focus, crashing down.

The last thing he heard before passing out was Thor's yelling. He saw Kate, kneel next to him, unharmed. The everything went black.

***

"You went too far." The voice hurt his head, it felt like a dagger had been plunged right through his skull. "What you showed him was disgusting. And using Teddy's image to say those things... That was absolutely..."

"Disgusting. I heard you the first time you said it." The other voice replied severely. "We need to tell Strange to stay a bit longer when he arrives."

"You be glad if Strange agrees to fix you. And lucky that I don't have any weapons on me, Loki. Because I swear that I'm going to make you regret what you did to him. He's been out for hours."

"By the way, isn't it time for you to leave?"

Billy opened his eyes, the noise too much to handle. He wanted to beg the two voices to leave so it would not feel like his skull was going to shatter every time he heard them. And that was a bad plan. The light made his head ache even more.

"Billy!" Kate exclaimed when she noticed he had opened his eyes. The young man grimaced.

"Please shut up." He begged, the pain too much to handle. His eyelids were heavy and considering how his head was swimming, he probably had a concussion. He remembered the flash of green and the sensation of being hit in the head by something cold, very hard and heavy. He also remembered Loki stabbing Kate. And that made him sit upwards. Too fast.

"He's going to throw up!" Kate said and grabbed a basin on the side of Billy's bed before holding it under his face. The young man struggled, but he emptied his stomach, instantly feeling better. He wiped his mouth and looked up at Kate who put the basin away.

"You're okay." He noticed and Kate nodded.

"Yeah. It was an illusion. I was in the bubble with Thor when Loki stabbed fake me." Her tone was nervous. "Uh, Billy there are things you should know..." She started, her eyes darting to his forehead. Loki came to her side and shook his head. Billy frowned, his headache suddenly getting worse to his surprise. He did not think think it was even possible.

"What?" He asked, closing his eyes.

"Kate!" Loki warned and that set something off in Billy's head.

"He'll have to know sooner or later! It's not like he won't see it!" Kate growled and Billy winced, a harsh wave of pain shooting through his forehead. She then looked at Billy, eyes shining with anger. "Billy, the spell that hit you..."

"It was a Decay Curse." Loki interrupted her. "I thought you hovering meant your magic was back. But I saw I made a mistake when the spell hit you. Luckily, Strange's protection slowed it down enough for me to reverse it, but... I was a bit too late. You know how that kind of curses works, right?" He asked, looking down sheepishly. Billy's hand flew upwards and he touched his face. He felt the coarse hair of his beard, his skin that was still smooth on his cheekbones. Decay Curses caused their target to age in a few seconds, and then rot alive. "So... Want the good news or the bad news?" Loki asked, and Billy turned his face to look at him, disbelief painted all over his features.

"Because there are good news?" He hissed. Loki lifted his hands and spread his fingers. They were extremely pale, bony, the skin pulled taut against the tissues and veins underneath, like the hands of a corpse. Loki flashed a bitter smile to Billy who kept staring at the god's hand, his face slowly turning ashen.

"Good news, my hands are... Well. They're dead. You don't have to fear anything from me anymore." He chuckled, but it was far from sincere, and a chill ran up Billy's spine as he understood Loki could not help him anymore. "And the bad news... Your skull has the structure of a eighty years old man's. I didn't manage to stop the spell before that." Billy felt cold at that and his eyes went wide as he looked at Kate, and he once again touched his face.

"That's not all..." Kate whispered and handed Billy a mirror. He froze as she presented it. Billy took it and bit his lips as he looked inside. First his chin. His beard was still there, thick, black. His cheeks above were still smooth. He angled the mirror to see the top of his face. His eyes were still there, brown with golden flecks. Everything looked normal, until he angled the mirror further and saw the spot of wrinkled skin at the hem of his hair. A crease appeared between his eyebrows when he saw the hair growing on this spot.

It was a single lock of hair, right on his forehead. And it was white. Billy touched it and recoiled from the reflection before pulling the mirror close to his face. The texture of the hair was slightly different than the rest, but as he pulled on it softly, he could feel the way it stuck to his scalp. He dropped the mirror and swallowed thickly.

"I look... I look like Tommy." He whispered, a lump suddenly forming in his throat. White hair? No problem. An old man's skull? That was a bit harder to swallow. But the real catastrophe was what had happened to Loki's hands. No hands meant no magic. Which also meant he could not help Billy to get his powers back anymore. And the three together? No.

Absolutely no.

With a strength he did not suspect possessing, Billy flung the mirror in the direction of the wall facing the bed. The glass shattered with a loud noise, making Kate yelp as Billy fisted his hair. The lump in his throat stopped him from breathing and he opened his mouth wide, but no air seemed to enter. He brought his hands to his neck and scratched it with panic. He was never going to see his dad again.

"Billy, look at me!" Kate commanded, sitting in front of him. "It's a panic attack. Breathe with me, here!" She took a deep breath through her nose. Billy looked at his best friend and tried to take a deep breath. It came in ragged and loud. Kate encouraged him in with a nod. "Hold it." She instructed, keeping her eyes locked with Billy, fidgeting with her hands. Billy closed his mouth, and looked at her with pleading eyes, his face growing redder and redder. Kate waited a few excruciating seconds before she spoke again. "Breathe out. Slowly." She said, her voice dropping to a soft and lulling tone. She made him repeat the process several time until he could breathe normally. "It's gonna be okay, I promise." She said and attempted to pull him into a hug, but her hands got burned as soon as she touched him, and they both flinched away from one another. Kate curled her hands into fists and she growled. "This spell is really starting to get on my nerves." She hissed. But Billy did not care. His eyes were burning harshly as his last hopes flew out the window.

"We need Stephen to fix Loki's hands." He declared. The god looked up at him, taken aback. His eyes were full of confusion and gratefulness. Kate looked at Loki with disdain.

"I think he deserved it." She stated coldly, but Billy shook his head.

"No. His hands need to be fixed. I need his hands to be fixed." He insisted, starting to tremble. "Take me to the observatory." He demanded, pushing the covers off. His head still hurt like hell, but he could not leave Loki in that state. He was the only one who actually thought he could fix Billy's problem. Everyone had given up on the young man. Wanda had left him, and Stephen kept repeating it was impossible. There was only Loki.

"Billy, I think you should stay in your bed." Kate attempted, but the young man got up, swaying dangerously on his feet. Kate rushed to his side. "Billy, you can't walk... Please go back to bed." She tried to reason.

"No!" Billy growled furiously. "Loki needs his hands to fix me. I'm sick of it. I'll have the protection spell removed, and Stephen will fix his goddamned hands!" He shouted, his head spinning more and more. "I need Loki to be fully functioning. And that spell has been nothing but trouble." He ranted as he took a step forward. His leg gave out and he fell on his knees. "Fuck!" He shouted as the tears finally started rolling down his cheeks.

"Billy..." Kate muttered sadly as she knelt by his side.

"No! You don't understand, Kate!" He roared. "He's the only one who actually can help me with my powers. Wanda bailed, Stephen refused to even think about it, and even if you and the others try, there's nothing you can do. I fucking need Loki!" Billy lost it. "I need him, and his fucking trickster god powers, otherwise, I'll never be able to fucking bring my Dad back!" Kate let out a shocked noise. "What? You think I agreed to stay here simply because it's dangerous for me back home? No." He sobbed. "I agreed to stay because I know Loki can do it." He said, and turned to the god who was alarmingly pale, an expression of disgust on his face.

"You think I'd let you do such thing?" Loki asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Let alone do it myself? No way, Billy. I may have done horrible things in the past, but this is Dark Magic. And I don't use that stuff."

"I simply want you to power me back. I'll do it myself." Billy retorted. "Wanda did it before. With Chaos Magic."

"Yeah, she did it. And look how much it costed her." Loki replied, his disgust growing. He shook his head. "I'm out. It's over. I'm not helping you lose your mind again."

"Why? Is it easier to trick me if I'm sane?" Billy spat suddenly. "I know, Loki. I know you're planning something. Still want my power for yourself, right? That's why you kept trying to isolate me. Sorry, you failed." He told the god, delighted to see him turn ashen. He let out a bitter laugh.

"Billy..." Kate whispered. "What are you saying?" She was crying, terrified.

"I'm saying that all I wanted was to bring my father back." He replied with sorrow. "He died because of me Kate. Because I couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what was not. He did not deserve that. But now, I don't even get to do this." He sobbed furiously. He was about to add something when he saw Thor and Stephen appear in the doorway.

Kate froze as Stephen stepped into the room with Thor, bewildered. He looked at Billy, and his grey eyes went very sad. She put herself between the Sorcerer Supreme and her best friend. Billy looked at Stephen and shame painted his features.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Strange knelt by his side and put a gentle hand on Billy's shoulder. The young man winced, but nothing happened.

"Don't worry. It's gonna be okay." And he started moving his hands. When he finished the spell, Billy blinked twice before falling asleep. He then got up and faced Loki.

"You will let him rest. And then you will help him like you promised." The Sorcerer declared. Loki opened his mouth, and Stephen rose his hand. "You owe him that." He interrupted the god. "I will break the slumber spell later. For now, Kate needs go back on Earth. The government sent more agents at Stark's place, and they want to talk to you about Ryker's Island. Don't worry, you have an alibi. You spent the night at Stark, with Rebecca and the boys. Tony managed to create false proofs." He explained, and Kate nodded. Strange looked at Billy as Thor carried him to the bed and put the covers over him, his gestures soft and protective. "The deal you made with Billy is broken." Stephen told the god firmly. "He was already lonely before. He needed his friends and family. Which is why I'll bring Teddy here later today. Rebecca can't come because of the investigation, and bringing Wanda would be a mistake. Billy will have someone by his side permanently." Stephen declared. "I do not trust you. I never did." He told Loki. "And you have not done anything to prove me wrong. Tonight, we will save Billy's brother, after I bring his entire family here. Billy is going to need them."

"You found Tommy?" Kate asked urgently.

"Yes. They moved him to your former headquarter. We need to act fast, Wanda is threatening to transport herself there and wreak havoc until she finds him. But for now, I need time and space. I'm going to break the protection spell I placed on Billy. After I am done, I will fix your hands." He told Loki.

"I'm not helping him with his powers if he uses them to resurrect his father." Loki protested.

"Yes you will. Otherwise, I will leave your hands in their present state. They will start to rot soon. And If you want Asgard to be fixed, you will help Billy." Strange snapped.

"It will taint his soul!" Loki shouted, going bright red.

"Yes. It will. Too bad for you, uh? Kate, before you leave, I am going to need you to assist me. Everyone out, please."

Loki attempted to retort, but Thor grabbed him by the collar to pull him outside, his expression murderous. Stephen waited until they had both disappeared and broke the wards against Billy's protection spell. He then started moving his hands, putting them on Kate. He looked at her.

"Go turn Billy on his stomach. Whatever you see, do not scream." He instructed. Kate frowned and went to undo the young man's tunic, pulling it off his shoulder until he was shirtless. She then put her hands on him and rolled him so he was lying face down, turning his head so he could breathe. And then her eyes fell to her best friend's back. And a horrified noise came out of her mouth. She had seen the sigil. The one Strange had created. But she did not know he had actually carved it between Billy's shoulder blades. The scars seemed old and healed, but the vision was still horrible.

"You..." She choked and turned to face the Sorcerer, shock making her body go numb. Stephen sighed furiously.

"He was asleep. Kate, I know it looks bad, but I can promise you he did not suffer. The spell protected him as soon as I finished etching it in his back. And then it healed him. Please, focus!" He commanded when he saw her bring her hand to her forehead and exhale loudly, clearly trying to calm herself. "Before I start working, there is something you need to know. This spell cannot be broken. It is the ultimate protection. I can only transfer it to someone. The problem is that this spell was supposed to protect Billy. And as soon as I will remove it, it will attack me, as well as the person I am going to transfer it to. Which is why I am going to put it on myself. Do you understand?" He asked urgently. Kate paled and her grey-blue eyes went wide.

"You're going to cut yourself off magic?" She asked.

"Yes. Exactly. I will have little time left after that. Which is why we need to act fast tonight. After I absorb the protection spell, I will probably have one day before it takes root inside me. I just hope it will not kill me before I finish the ritual." Stephen mumbled.

"But... What if that happens?" Kate croaked, looking at Billy who was still asleep. Stephen grimaced.

"It should not. I hope the spell will protect me from itself. I will be powerless. But safe from any kind of harm. That is the plan." He explained, and a sad smile appeared on his face. "I know now. I know why Billy appeared that young in the Eye of Agamotto after you decided to bring Loki in the picture. This is what is supposed to happen." He then produced a dagger out of nowhere and pulled his sleeve up. He put the blade against his skin and gave himself a small cut. He walked towards Billy and leaned forward.

"I hope I will get to see how wonderful of a Sorcerer Supreme you will be, William Kaplan. You can not imagine how proud I am that you disappointed me. I was blind. And I am sorry. You were right. A good sorcerer does not stop halfway through a spell, no matter how hard the casting is. And I understand now. You are probably the most infuriating, stubborn and determined man I know. And that is something you can be proud of. Hold on to this." He told the sleeping young man with a smile. Kate clenched her jaw as he cut through one of Billy's scar, but this time, it was to stop herself from crying. To her surprise, no blood came out of the cut. Instead, a golden fog started rising in an upwards motion. Strange instantly started moving his hands, letting out a strings of incantations and the golden fog moved towards him, like pushed by a breeze. It then slipped inside the wound Strange had put on his arm, and it instantly made his veins and tissues glow underneath his skin.

Kate took a step back. The scars on Billy's back were slowly disappearing and she sat by his side as the fog escaped his back to enter Stephen's. She was scared. Without this protection, Loki would be able to harm Billy in more ways than one.

"Do you think... Do you think Billy will actually do..." She began, and instantly went quiet when Stephen turned his eyes to look at her, concerned.

"I think I learned a lesson about Billy, Kate. If this is what he wants, he will do it. Like I said, he is stubborn. I am just scared of his reaction when he finds out it is more difficult to bring someone back than anything else, even with a power such as his. It is one thing to warp reality. But to go against the rules of nature..." He replied flatly.

"Okay. But say he succeeds. What will happen to him?" She asked in a tiny voice, looking at her best friend, her eyes miserable.

"Like Loki said. His soul will be tainted. The cost for that kind of spell... I do not even want to think about it. With Classical Magic, it usually takes the life of another loved one, to preserve the balance. And the mage ages faster. With Chaos Magic... One could suspect he will instantly go insane. But the thing is, this particular form of Magic is fickle. Maybe Jeff will come back. And then again, maybe it will be another interdimensional parasite. Or something worse."

"I don't think there can be something worse than Mother..." Kate whispered. And Strange huffed, amused.

"As Sorcerer Supreme, I can assure you that there are things that are way worse than Mother."

"What can we do to stop Loki from attempting to steal Billy's powers for himself? Because when we asked for his help, he said he wanted complete immunity against Billy's powers after he ascends. That means no rules for him. And Billy will not be able to do anything against him."

And Strange laughed. It was so unlike him that Kate paled. The young woman looked at him as if she feared he was having a meltdown.

"I think Loki is in for a surprise if he even tries. Besides, after everything that happened, I do not think Billy will give him what he wants."

"I hope you're right." Kate whispered.

***

Billy opened his eyes and, for the first time in a very long time, he felt good. As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It even made him choke on a sob as the wonderful feeling unfurled inside his chest. As he rolled off the bed, he registered that the colors seemed brighter, and he could smell everything around him. From the scent of his own body, clean sweat and soap, to the scent of burning wood, rotting leaves, saline and dust that came from the open window of his bedroom. He blinked and reached above his shoulder to touch his back. But he only felt plain skin. He felt his throat go narrow and walked towards the mirror that stood on the opposite side of the window. He then turned around and craned his neck to look at his back.

There was nothing but skin. The white scars that held the protection spell were gone. He choked again and tried to crane his neck further, his hands flying upwards to caress the unmarked skin on his back. He felt a laugh come up, bubbling inside his throat as tears clouded his vision. He turned his head back and froze when he saw Teddy standing on the balcony, his hands deep in the pockets of his beige cargo shorts as the curtains billowed around him in a graceful dance. Billy instantly froze and crossed his arms over his naked chest. He knew it was stupid, that Teddy had seen way more of his body in the past, and he remembered how tight the leather pants he was wearing were and that made his cheeks go ablaze. He instantly went to retrieve one of the tunics Loki had offered him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Teddy muttered, a bit tense. As if he feared Billy was going to lash out at him.

"It's... Uh..." Billy stammered as he fought to close the front of the tunic on his ribs. This one was also too tight for him now. "No, It's okay. I didn't know you were here. I would have gotten dressed. Uh... Why was I shirtless in the first place? I don't know. I suppose it's because Strange canceled his spell..."

"Chill, Billy. You're babbling."

This simple sentence sent a shiver down the former mage's spine. It brought back too many memories, and like in the past, it was spoken in a soft and warm tone. Billy did not have to look at him to know Teddy was flashing a reassuring smile. When he finally managed to attach the tunic so it would not hang open, he turned around. His eyes met Teddy's and he smiled awkwardly.

"So... Uh...You're here to watch over me?" He asked, unsure. What did Teddy know, exactly? What had Kate and Stephen told him?

"Yes. But not for very long. Your mother is going to arrive soon, and I will leave. After what Loki has done to you..." He grunted and his eyes darted up to look at the white lock of hair on Billy's forehead. "Well. Strange decided you should always have someone by your side."

"But then why bring my Mom if you're here?" Billy asked, unsure. Teddy licked his lips awkwardly and his eyes darted to the side.

"We uh... We have something planned for tonight." He replied quietly. Billy froze and took a step forward.

"Does it involve you getting shot again?" He asked as his insides grew cold. Teddy opened his mouth and closed it.

"Kate told you." He whispered. "I asked her not to." Billy took another step forward, his brow furrowing.

"Of course she told me. After what I told you about my future self, I hoped you would stay safe." The former mage said, unable to hold the scolding accents in his voice. Teddy looked down, but his hair was now too short to hide his eyes.

"It was just a few bullets. I healed." Teddy protested quietly. "And I made sure to shift my organs around so..."

"You could still have died Teddy." Billy tried to muffle the horror that came to him at the thought. Teddy licked his lips and nodded, the corners of his mouth turning downwards slightly.

"It was stupid. I know." The shape shifter whispered. "I just... I just wanted to make something right."

"Right? You getting shot will not make anything _right_ , Teddy." Billy pleaded, feeling his hands tremble. He clenched his fists and looked at the other young man. "It will only make things worse. I don't want you to get hurt." There were so many things he meant by that. But they were all more selfish than the other.

"Yeah..." Teddy chuckled wryly. "So... I heard about what you're planning to do when you get your powers back..." He said in a poor attempt to change subjects. Billy's eyes went wide and he turned bright red. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I'm sure we've both read enough fantasy and seen enough movies and TV shows to know where this is going..."

"You're going to try to talk me out of this." Billy understood. Teddy sighed tiredly and he moved to the balcony to sit on one of the chairs there.

"No. I'm not. If this is what you want, go ahead. I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. I mean, last time you tried, Loki managed to pervert your spell, and we ended with Mother on our arms. And I can assure you that there's nothing worse than an evil entity wearing one of your parents' face." He declared, his shoulders hunching forward. And that made Billy recoil with guilt and shame. "It was not your fault, I know. I don't blame you. I just want to make sure you will be cautious this time. And if you do it, wait until Loki is away, okay?" Billy tilted his head, a bit surprised.

"Why are you telling me this? I mean... I did not expect any kind of support. Especially not from you." The young man said and realized how it could be interpreted when he saw Teddy's face fall. "No! No, no, no, Teddy! This is not what I meant! I would never..." He was only making things worse, it seemed. "Fuck. That's... Okay." He breathed out and Teddy frowned. "Ignore what I just said. Have you heard the good news?" He asked, and sat down in the other chair of the balcony before extending his hands forwards, palms up. There was a crackling sound, and electricity started to arc between his fingers, the smell of ozone instantly starting to waft around him. Teddy gasped, and his face lit up with joy.

"No way!" He said, and a big smile appeared on his lips. "Does that mean your powers are back?" He asked excitedly, getting up and kneeling in front of Billy in order to get a better look at the white-blue lightnings shooting off from the former mage's fingertips.

"No. I can only do that. I can also fly apparently. Although I didn't try that again." Billy replied, and stopped the electric current that was roaming over his hands. Teddy was leaning far too close, and he risked getting hurt if he got closer. The shape shifter then looked up. And Billy's heart skipped a bit.

Teddy's eyes were warm, and soft. And so loving that it made his heart pick up the pace. He licked his lips, and saw the other young man follow the motion of his tongue with his eyes. Billy's throat went narrow. Teddy's hand flew up and curled around his cheek. And it did not burn. It was warm, and his skin was soft and he instinctively leaned into the touch. A chill ran down his spine as Teddy leaned in. But as their lips were about to meet, the memory of Teddy walking past him to run into David's arms suddenly came back to him, and he tilted his head downward, his forehead connecting with Teddy's, who let out a ragged breath.

"Teddy... I can't..." He whispered and pulled away, getting up and turning his back on the other young man. He did not see him rub his face in a downward motion, nor did he see him shift the ashamed blush away from his face. "I told you..."

"I know. Just friends.” Teddy cut him short, voice hoarse. A few seconds of tense silence passed before he spoke up again. "This is hard. It’s hard because, I know I have to give you what you want, and I deserve what’s happening, but it hurts. And I deeply regret what I did to you. And it feels like hell. Because I still lo…"

"Please don’t say it." Billy stopped him. Teddy’s face collapsed, his lips becoming a tight line. Billy’s eyes started burning him and he closed them tight. "You were right, by the way, when you said I’m a coward." He whispered, a lump forming in his throat. "I don’t want to hear this. If you say it, it will become real. And if it’s real, it will hurt more than it does already. And I’m tired of being in pain. Just like I’m tired of inflicting pain. I don’t want to hear that. That’s how much of a coward I am." He opened his eyes, turned around and looked straight at Teddy. The shape shifter’s eyes were glistening, his cheeks were red.

"The real coward is me." He simply replied, and looked at his watch. "I uh… I gotta go. Stephen will bring your mom here after I leave." A tear escaped his eye, and he wiped it as soon as he started rolling. "Uh… Stay safe."

That broke Billy’s heart. He stood where he was as Teddy disappeared through the door, his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. Billy bit his lips as tears started pouring, drenching his cheeks and disappearing into his thick beard.

_It feels like hell. Because I still love you_

That was what Teddy had meant to say. That was what Billy had been afraid to hear ever since Teddy had come back. And it felt even worse now that they knew there was no spell. And it tore Billy’s heart in half.

_I don’t want to hear that. Because then, it will mean all of this pain was unnecessary._

That was Billy’s train of thought. And then, burning bright red, wild and loud:

_Teddy, I still love you too._

***

**MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY**

It had been a mistake. A huge mistake. Because as soon as they had managed to break into their former headquarter, they had been greeted by fully armed government agents. Teddy roared and punched one of the men in front of him, just as a huge chunk of the ground turned liquid by his right.

"You were supposed to wait outside with Eli!" He heard Natasha yell as Josh ran past her and re-solidified the ground, trapping a dozen of agents inside it, their heads and a few arms sticking out of it as they remained there, shocked. Kate and Clint were shooting arrows all around and Teddy threw one more man over his shoulder and pressed his fingers to his ear.

"There are too many of them! How is it possible that they knew we were coming?" He asked. Echoes of his conversation with Billy were still ringing through his skull. He should have stayed home tonight. He was not focused on the mission enough. Someone suddenly pulled him hard and he saw Josh jump in front of him.

"Hold your breath everyone!" He commanded. Teddy frowned and Instantly regretted not obeying. Josh made a wide gesture with his arms and the air went solid in front of him, a translucent wall forming as it stopped the rain of bullet aimed at Teddy. The shape shifter grabbed at his throat, unable to breathe. Josh paled when he saw everyone start to cough around him. He desperately flung his hand towards the wall, liquifying a large hole into it. Soon, the air came back inside the room and he vaporized his wall of solid air. Teddy grabbed him by the waist and ducked behind an overturned desk. "Okay. Never doing that again." Josh blinked, looking at his hands. "I didn't realize I would take so much." He whispered.

"You need to get out of here!" Teddy growled, looking over the desk. The fight was messy. There was blood coming out of Kate's nose as she fought with Clint, both surrounded by ten agents. The man was wounded as well. Blood was streaming from a gash on his chest, and both Hawkeyes were covered in dust. Natasha's bracelets were going off, and off again as she shot darts of sedatives and electrical ones. "We all need to get out of here." He realized.

"Not until I find my son." Wanda's voice groaned in his communicator. "We're having issues here. Stephen's spells aren't working properly!" She added, and Teddy heard someone shout. "Oh my! No! What are you..." The line went silent after that and Josh looked at Teddy with wide eyes. The shape shifter cursed. He heard Natasha yell 'Wanda? Wanda?' uselessly as nothing but static could be heard on the Scarlet Witch's end.

"You get out of here! Now!" He told Josh and leaped over the desk, shifting as big as he could, and making his thick thicker. The rain of bullets that greeted him made him wince as he ran in Kate's direction and slammed into the group of agents that was giving her a hard time.

_You getting shot will not make anything right_

Billy was going to lose his mind. He grabbed the agent at his right and launched him towards Clint's opponents. He was about to run towards the archer when Cassie suddenly grew to her normal size and jumped into the fight. She successfully knocked several of their enemies out before she shrunk again, this time starting to fire darts of energy at them. She flew upwards, and started flying in a circle over their head as she fired and fired.

"Guys! What do you think about Stinger?" She asked in an attempt at humor, but her voice was strained. "As a codename. Stinger. It sounds cool right?"

"Now's not the time, Cass!" Kate protested. She slammed her bow into an agent's face, and as she was about to draw an arrow from her quiver, a blur passed by her and sent her flying right into a wall. The crack that resulted sent a chill down Teddy's spine, just as Clint shouted Kate's name. Teddy started running towards her but he was stopped.

"Freeze! Or we'll execute them!"

Teddy turned his head and a furious snarl appeared on his lips as Jackson appeared through the doors that led further into the headquarter. He was holding Wanda against him. She had a metal collar around her neck, engraved with runes that were glowing. Teddy recognized some kind of Asgardian security system and he froze. Because next to Jackson, Stephen was standing, a gun pressed to his temple. The blur stopped by Jackson and David appeared instead.

The young man was pale and skinny. Teddy felt his features collapse as David locked eyes with him, his gaze instantly turning murderous. A delighted smile appeared on his lips, though, as if he had received the best gift in the world. The fight instantly stopped as the agents went to form a circle around them. Cassie was holding Kate, one of the young woman's arm over her shoulder.

"Please, tell me we planned an exit." She whispered as Kate slowly woke up.

"Wanda was our exit." Clint replied though gritted teeth as he came closer to her. David started clapping, making all of them freeze. Teddy looked at the desk on the other side of the room. A head disappeared behind it and he clenched his jaw. Fuck. Josh was supposed to be at Stark's right now. They should never have allowed him to come.

"This is just wonderful." David declared. "You're a bunch of idiots. Did you really think we would not prepare after what you did on Ryker's Island? Please." He looked at each and everyone of them, before stopping his eyes on Wanda. "It took you long enough to come and save your son." He mumbled darkly. "I suppose you would have come earlier if it had been Billy, isn't it?"

"You bastard! Where is Tommy?!!? Tell me or I'll..." David punched her in the stomach, making her fall to her knees. He sniffed with disdain and leaned in.

"Or what? You won't do anything, Witch. I've got you trapped. See, all those things that were taken from the Avengers after Demise Day? Well they came in handy. I just had to study for a few weeks in order to understand how Stark's technology works, or how to build my own anti-magic bonds. That beautiful necklace you're wearing? You can thank Thor for it." He then grabbed a strange riffle from the agent next to Jackson and hit Wanda with it. She fell flat on her front.

"You little..." Natasha groaned and took a step forward. She was stopped by the line of agents pointing their guns at her. Clint cleared his throat softly. Teddy looked over his shoulder at the desk. He could not see if Josh was still here. But he hoped the young man had left. He could hear Eli and Ororo whisper in his ear, as well as Fury who was talking in a panicked tone about needing back up. When he looked back, he saw David looking at him with an expression of wonder on his face. He smirked and turned to the desk.

"Oh. I think we have one more guest." He said. "Come out! I promise not to kill you. Unless you're another of the Witch's offsprings." Teddy gasped and moved, but Josh came out of his hideout, tears streaming down his face. He was terrified, and yet, he faced David with his jaw clenched. "You're one of the little brothers, right?" David asked.

"Ye... Yes." Josh replied with a furious sob. David gave him a fake sympathetic face.

"Sorry your dad served as a human shield for your big bro." He replied. Josh turned bright red and lifted his hands. They were shaking violently. David giggled.

"Come on. You don't have it in you." He taunted and opened his arms wide. "I'll tell you what. Prove me wrong and you can all leave." He started walking towards Josh who kept his hands in David's direction. "That's okay Josh. Breathe. Go on. You can liquify me. Hell, vaporize me even. But you need to focus." He encouraged. Josh started walking backwards as David approached. Clint cleared his throat again. Natasha's breath hitched. David sighed. "See? You don't have it in you." He declared with regret. And he then pointed the riffle at Josh. "But I do."

Teddy smashed through the circle of agents. He wrapped himself around Josh, big and green as David pressed the trigger. It was not a bullet this time. But the ray hit his back and tore a hole through his thickened skin. He felt his bones shatter as it pierced his body deep.

_Billy is going to be fucking pissed_ , he thought as he lost consciousness.

***

**ASGARD**

The star portal shattered, and America slipped inside it. She held Kate up as the young woman fought to stay on her feet. She was heavily bandaged, and a splint was holding her right arm still. Heimdall looked at them both and his lips parted slightly. There were burns all over the wounded young woman.

"Well don't just stay here gaping! Go fetch Billy!" America groaned. Kate coughed and she turned her head to look at her. "It's okay, Princess." She whispered and made Kate sit down. They waited like that for a few minutes, a steady stream of tears rolling on Kate's cheeks. And finally, they heard footsteps.

Billy came inside the observatory and instantly threw himself to Kate's side. Thor was right behind him and he knelt down as well.

"Go find Loki!" He told the guards that were with him. "Tell him it's an emergency."

"Kate, what happened? Oh my god, are you okay?" Billy asked urgently, touching the young woman's face. She shook her head and grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard enough to hurt him.

"We failed. We failed." She croaked. "Billy..."

"Shh, it's okay Katie, shhh..." The young man mumbled as a lump formed inside his throat.

"No. They got Wanda. Strange is in a coma. Clint is... Oh my god, Clint... He triggered all of his arrows at once, Billy. He exploded and there was nothing we could do..." She sobbed. Billy paled and he grabbed her shoulders.

"Clint is dead?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. The shock hit him like a ton of brick and he fell on his ass. "What were you trying to do, Kate?" He asked as his eyes filled with tears. Kate looked at him and sobbed again. "Kate, please..." Billy begged.

"Tommy. He did not disappear." She replied. "They've been holding him prisoner all along!" She cried, her voice turning shrill.

The world stopped moving. Billy took a ragged breath as the horror of the situation settled in his mind. He looked at America who kept her eyes fixed on Kate, concern painted all over her features. Billy ran a hand in his hair.

"Who?" He asked, even though it sounded more like an order. He knew who, he just needed to hear it. Kate sniffed.

"Casey and his men."

Billy leaped to his feet as the guards arrived with Rebecca and Loki who instantly started working on a healing spell. Rebecca knelt next to Kate and pulled her in her arms, before starting to rock her. She looked horrified. Billy took in the view of the observatory as his heart started beating faster and faster. His brother was with Casey. He clenched his fists and screamed his fury, electricity exploding all around him, scaring everyone.

"I'm going back home." Billy declared as lightnings shot all around him, shattering the ground. He felt himself slowly float upwards. Loki looked at him with wide eyes as little waves of green light floated towards kate and healed her.

"But Billy... Your Magic..."

"Screw Magic! I need to save my brother. And if I survive this, I'll come back and fix Asgard, like I promised. But Tommy's in danger. And I'm not leaving him there." He declared. He looked at America who nodded. The young woman leaped to her feet and opened her arms. A star shaped portal appeared once again and she kicked through it.

"Billy..." Kate called him weakly. The young man turned his head to face her. "There's something else. Teddy... They don't know if he will make it." Billy froze. He looked at Loki who locked eyes with him, just as Rebecca gasped.

"See what you've done?" Billy whispered. "All of that because of power?"

"Billy..." The god started.

"No. Finish with Kate. And then you come with us. You'll heal everyone that can be healed. And then we'll save my brother. And after that I'll come back here. I will get my powers back. And then I suggest you run Loki. Because I'll get them back, with or without you. And you will not like what's in store for you. America?"

"On it." The young woman grabbed Loki and threw him over her shoulder. Billy went and grabbed Kate, his muscles starting to protest as soon as he lifted her in his arms. Rebecca got up and put a hand on her son's shoulder, squeezing it tight.

"Brother!" Loki called in despair. Thor held his head high. And he went to grab his hammer. The observatory lit up and Billy froze. Thor came by his side and patted his back.

"You brought this on yourself, Loki. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much faith I had that you would change, you still brought chaos and strife around you. I can't help you anymore." He then looked down at Billy. "I'm coming with you. They killed my friend." He declared. "They declared war on us."

"And war they shall receive." America declared. And they all stepped through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!TRIGGER WARNING!!
> 
> SPOILER: The protection spell Stephen put on Billy was etched in his back, between his shoulder blades. The scars literally hold the spell inside them. The spell is also unbreakable, it can only be transfered. In order to do so, Stephen gives himself a small cut on the arm to absorb the magic in his body. This was not intended to look like self harm, but if this is one of your triggers, avoid this part, please. Be safe, this story is not worth having an attack of any sort, so just skip from ""Go turn Billy on his stomach. Whatever you see, do not scream." to "Do you think... Do you think Billy will actually do..." She began, and instantly went quiet when Stephen turned his eyes to look at her, concerned."
> 
> Please, skip this scene if it's triggering for you to read about this. I hope I made everything clear. I'll say it once again, if I forgot anything, feel free to tell me, because it's important. Thank you <3


End file.
